Residents of Kigumo and neighbouring areas in Embu County have watched their roads remain largely unpaved, making movement difficult and limiting access to markets and other economic opportunities.

Now, the ongoing upgrading of the Rukuriri-Kathageri-Kanyuambora Road is changing that outlook, with residents expressing optimism that the new road will improve connectivity and stimulate economic activity across the region.

One of the residents, Geofrey Njeru of Kigumo Sub-location in Runyenjes Sub-County, said the arrival of the tarmac road represents a long-awaited transformation for communities that have depended on earth and gravel roads for years.

“For a long time, I have been waiting to see a tarmac road in this area and in many parts of Embu County,” Njeru said.

He said the improved road would make it easier for residents to move between trading centres, transport agricultural produce and access services.

The project is part of ongoing road infrastructure development in Embu. Government documents identify the Rukuriri-Kathageri-Kanyuambora corridor as a road to be upgraded to bitumen standards, while the Kenya Rural Roads Authority has listed the route among its road projects in the county.

The road serves an agricultural region where tea, coffee and dairy farming are important economic activities. Its upgrading is expected to provide more reliable access between farms, markets, processing facilities and neighbouring areas.

For Njeru, the transformation goes beyond the road surface. He said better roads could open opportunities for transport operators, traders and farmers by making movement faster and more reliable.

“The residents of this area of Kigumo and Kanyuambora are very happy,” he said, adding that the project would support economic activity in the area.

The road’s development also forms part of a wider push to improve rural connectivity in Embu. KeRRA’s project documentation indicates that the wider Kararitiri-Rukuriri/Kathageri-Kanyuambora corridor covers approximately 23 kilometres, including the 17-kilometre Kathageri-Kanyuambora link.

Njeru also acknowledged that government projects can attract differing views from citizens, particularly over taxation and affordable housing, but said residents should also consider the infrastructure improvements taking place in their communities.

He cited the construction of roads and other public infrastructure as examples of projects that, in his view, are creating opportunities for rural communities.

The ongoing road works have already drawn attention from farmers and residents who depend on the corridor for transportation. Recent reporting indicates that the road upgrade is expected to ease movement of agricultural produce and strengthen connections between tea-growing areas, factories and markets in Runyenjes and neighbouring Mbeere North.

For communities along the route, the expectation is that a reliable all-weather road will translate into easier travel, improved movement of farm produce and greater opportunities for businesses to serve a growing local economy.

As construction continues, residents like Njeru are looking beyond the completion of the road to the economic opportunities it could unlock.