By:Faith Mukundi
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has outlined a Sh35 billion road development programme and Sh10 billion in market, housing and student hostel projects in Tharaka Nithi County, as the government seeks to expand infrastructure and improve household incomes.
Speaking during a public engagement meeting at Mitheru Chief’s Camp Grounds in Maara Constituency on Thursday, October 22, 2026, Kindiki said 515 kilometres of roads had been prioritised for tarmacking across the county.
He also highlighted the ongoing construction of the new Nithi Bridge, a Sh7.5 billion project intended to replace the existing crossing along the Nairobi–Embu–Meru Highway, which has been associated with fatal accidents for decades.
Kindiki said the road programme would cover Maara, Chuka Igambang’ombe and Tharaka constituencies, while the government continued efforts to unlock stalled infrastructure projects, including the Weru–Chogoria road.
The Deputy President said the government was also investing in markets, affordable housing and student accommodation, with projects across the county valued at Sh10 billion.
Among the projects he cited were the Chogoria affordable housing development, valued at Sh974 million, the Chogoria Economic Stimulus Programme market, costing Sh70 million, and hostel construction at Muraga Technical Training Institute, valued at Sh392 million.
He said the projects were intended to improve access to housing and market facilities while expanding accommodation for students pursuing technical and vocational training.
Farmers benefit from price changes
Kindiki also highlighted measures targeting agricultural production and farmers’ earnings, saying farmers in the county were benefiting from reduced prices of fertiliser, seeds and sexed semen, alongside increased incomes from coffee and milk sales.
He pointed to the supply of nine milk coolers to dairy farmers in Tharaka Nithi County as part of efforts to strengthen milk handling and support the dairy value chain.
The Deputy President said improvements in agricultural production and market access were central to the government’s efforts to increase household incomes and strengthen rural economies.
Coffee and dairy farming remain important economic activities in parts of the county, with farmers’ earnings influenced by production costs, market prices and access to collection and storage facilities.
Sh1.2 billion electricity connectivity programme
The Deputy President further said Tharaka Nithi County had received Sh1.2 billion to connect an additional 10,000 households to electricity.
Of the allocation, Sh138 million had been set aside for connecting 2,000 households in Maara Constituency.
Kindiki said the allocation for Maara would be doubled, with the government targeting an increase in electricity connectivity from the current 70 per cent to 90 per cent within one year and 100 per cent within 18 months.
The proposed expansion is expected to extend electricity access to more households, supporting domestic use and potentially creating opportunities for small businesses and other income-generating activities.
Chogoria campus upgrade underway
Kindiki also announced that the process of upgrading Chogoria Campus to university college status was underway, a move that could expand access to higher education in the region if completed.
He linked the planned upgrade to wider government investments in education infrastructure, including student hostels at Muraga Technical Training Institute.
The Deputy President additionally said 80 per cent of Tharaka Nithi residents had enrolled in the government-run medical insurance scheme, placing the county among the five leading counties nationally in access to universal health coverage, according to his remarks.
The public engagement meeting was attended by Maara MP Kareke Mbiuki, Tharaka MP Gitonga Murugara, Chuka Igambang’ombe MP Patrick Munene, members of county assemblies, political aspirants, professionals and grassroots leaders.
The meeting formed part of the government’s engagement with residents on development priorities, infrastructure projects and service delivery in Tharaka Nithi County.