Govt weighs Sh5bn vs Sh50bn plans for deadly Nithi Bridge, Ruto says
The bridge, which has long been a deadly blackspot on the Embu-Meru road, has claimed numerous lives due to its dangerous design and steep terrain.
President William Ruto has assured the public that work on the Nithi Bridge in Tharaka Nithi County is on the horizon, though it has yet to begin due to ongoing evaluations of the best course of action.
According to the president, the government is weighing two possible solutions, with one proposal costing Sh5 billion and the other priced at Sh50 billion. He noted that a decision will soon be made, paving the way for construction to commence.
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“I had given Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) and Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) the assignment to do it and to figure out how we are going to work on that bridge... There are two solutions for that bridge. One will cost us Sh5 billion, and they have designed how it is going to happen; the other is going to cost us Sh50 billion, and they have told us to make a choice,” Ruto said.
The bridge, which has long been a deadly blackspot on the Embu-Meru road, has claimed numerous lives due to its dangerous design and steep terrain.
The Nithi Bridge, built in the early 1980s, has earned the grim nickname “killer bridge” due to frequent fatal accidents over the years. From a horrifying bus plunge in 2000 that killed over 45 people to more recent incidents, including a 2022 bus accident that claimed 33 lives, the bridge’s reputation as a perilous route has only worsened.
Despite the alarming fatalities, including an accident in April 2024 that killed four people, the bridge remains unchanged.
Leaders from Meru have persistently called for the road’s redesign to improve safety, yet promises of a solution have gone unfulfilled under both past and current administrations.
President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration had pledged to redesign the bridge during the 2022 campaign, with the president vowing to take action within 180 days of assuming office. However, two years later, the promise has not been realised, and the community continues to bear the brunt of the bridge’s hazardous conditions.
During an interview on Monday, Ruto defended the delay, emphasising that the government had a clear plan for the bridge but was constrained by limited resources until recently.
“We now have resources. We are now going to figure out how to address it,” the president said.
He further explained that the government had recently allocated Sh60 billion for contractor payments to resume critical projects, signaling a shift in resource availability.
“The Nithi Bridge, which, by the way, is a concern to me as much as a concern to you because, as you say, people are continuing to lose lives on that bridge,” he said.
The ongoing challenges surrounding the Nithi Bridge, however, extend beyond funding. Experts have long pointed to the steep descent, sharp curves, and inadequate safety measures as key factors contributing to its high fatality rate.
Despite the numerous accidents, including a series of tragic incidents from 2018 to 2021, the redesign and proper road safety measures remain a matter of urgency.
Given the bridge’s age—over 40 years old—and the mounting pressure from the public and local leaders, a redesign is expected to include widening the bridge, improving road markings, adding safety barriers and addressing the road’s gradient issues to better accommodate larger vehicles.
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