NGPU
May 15, 2025
Hope for Safer Roads as Governor Kihika, DP Kindiki Mourn Arimi Crash Victims
Written by Roy Lumbe
Nakuru residents are poised to benefit from critical road redesigns and improved infrastructure following the government’s response to a tragic road crash that left 12 people dead along the Njoro-Elburgon Road last week.
Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki announced a significant intervention to address the dangerous Amaco blackspot, revealing that the Ministry of Roads and Transport engineers will be deployed this week to assess and redesign the accident-prone stretch. The move is part of a broader national strategy to reduce carnage on Kenyan roads.
During a joint funeral service for eight victims at Arimi Primary School in Molo, Prof. Kindiki said the government is committed to long-term solutions. He pointed to the successful transformation of the Salgaa blackspot and said similar safety efforts will now be replicated in the area.
Additionally, he announced that works on the Rironi-Mau Summit dual carriageway—expected to be the largest road project in Nakuru—will commence on July 1 under Kenya Kwanza’s flagship infrastructure plan.
“I assure you that we will redesign this road to ensure such tragedies are never repeated,” said Kindiki. He also revealed an extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to western Kenya.
Segment 2B will run through Naivasha and Baringo, while 2C will connect Bomet to Kisumu and Uganda, boosting regional connectivity and development.
At the request of Nakuru Governor H E Susan Kihika, the Deputy President also pledged to support the purchase of a school bus for Elburgon DEB Primary School to provide safer transport for pupils who use the high-risk route daily.
The announcement came during an emotionally filled funeral service where families, residents, and leaders gathered to mourn the loss of lives cut short in the horrific crash.
Four students were among the deceased: Nixon Mwaura and Peninah Wambui of Elburgon DEB, Paul Chege, a student on industrial attachment, and Felix Onyango of Sigalagala National Polytechnic.
Governor Kihika, visibly moved, recounted the heartbreaking story of a father who lost his wife in the accident, leaving him to care for a six-month-old baby alone.
She pledged to support the family personally and called for a unified effort to enhance road safety.
“These are not just statistics. These were sons, daughters, mothers and fathers. We should not be burying such young people,” said Kihika.
The governor used the occasion to highlight her administration’s ongoing development efforts in Elburgon Ward—projects she said were aimed at lifting communities and addressing long-standing service gaps.
She highlighted the completed Elburgon Vocational Training Center and the construction of the Ndimu Dispensary, which is now ready for use. The Elburgon Sub-county Hospital is nearing completion, while the maternity wing has already been equipped with medical and dental equipment to serve the growing population.
In education, four ECDE classrooms are under construction in Kapsita, Saptet, DEB, and Arimi, with additional developments ongoing in Tegat, Mucharage, and Nyakiambi. The Elburgon Social Hall is also expected to be completed before the close of the financial year.
On water and sanitation, she revealed the county has piped water projects in Lower Mutamaiyu and Cheponde, drilled a borehole in Kapsita, and initiated the Kasarani Water Project. Three masonry tanks have been constructed in Ribot, Nyakiambi, and Arimi to improve water storage and access.
Kihika also assured residents that bursary disbursements would begin next week following the resolution of legal delays and promised a follow-up meeting with DP Kindiki to address land issues affecting displaced families around Elburgon town.
Leaders including Molo MP Kuria Kimani, Nakuru Woman Representative Lisa Chelule, and Elburgon MCA Njuguna Mwaura all echoed calls for enhanced road safety, support for the bereaved, and accelerated development in the region.
