For years, getting from one point to another along the Kathegeri-Kanyuambora Road was a test of patience. Residents of Kathagiri and the villages around it had grown accustomed to bumpy, unreliable journeys, sky-high transport costs for farm produce, and the near-impossibility of moving goods quickly when the weather turned harsh.
That reality is now shifting as tarmac finally reaches the corridor.
The road upgrade has been met with quiet but genuine relief from people who spent years wondering whether the improvement would ever come.
What the Road Means for Kathagiri Residents
Magdaline Karimi, who lives in Kathagiri, said the mood in the community has changed noticeably since construction began making visible progress in the area.
“We used to have a problem with the road. We would ask ourselves when the road would be improved and when we would finally get tarmac. Now we have seen the tarmac reach our area, and the road problem is coming to an end,” she said.
Karimi pointed out that beyond the comfort of smoother travel, the upgrade would make a direct difference to how easily residents could move goods and access transport services.
“When we go to collect our goods, we will no longer have many difficulties. There will also be more vehicles available to transport people and goods,” she added.
Opportunities for Traders, Farmers and Transport Operators
Dennis Murimi, a Runyenjes resident and Kilimambogo graduate currently working at the construction site, sees the road as an economic turning point for the wider region.
“The road will help increase business opportunities, especially in transport. Boda boda operators will also be able to reach areas where raw materials and farm produce are located,” Murimi said.
He explained that farmers stand to gain most directly, since better road access means crops can move from the field to the market far more efficiently and at lower cost.
Murimi also highlighted what the completed road would mean for passenger movement in an area that has historically struggled to attract reliable transport services.
“This road will also help with transportation of passengers. Once it is complete, you will have vehicles coming here to pick people and take them to different destinations,” he said.
For the communities that have endured the hardship of a neglected route for so long, the Kathegeri-Kanyuambora Road upgrade carries significance well beyond the tarmac itself. Residents are now looking ahead to stronger trade links, easier market access and the kind of steady connectivity that can quietly transform daily life in a rural area.
