A Kenyan communications professional watched his Airbnb dream collapse just before the finish line after learning that the rooms he had built near Nithi Bridge stood directly in the path of a proposed road realignment project.
Kenny Kaburu, who works in the Office of the Deputy President, shared his ordeal on social media, tracing the story back to a visit by friends in 2023 that first sparked the idea.
Scenic View Became Business Plan
During that visit, Kaburu’s guests were struck by the breathtaking views towards Nithi Bridge.
The landscape made such a deep impression that he began to see it not just as a backdrop but as the centrepiece of a business.
He set about constructing several rooms intended to operate as Airbnb accommodation, offering guests a distinctive getaway experience in a setting shaped by that striking scenery.
The project moved steadily forward, and Kaburu was close to completing the final stages of construction when the news arrived.
Realignment Plans Threaten Village
He learnt that the structures he had built sat along the corridor earmarked for a realignment of Nithi Bridge.
The proposed infrastructure works meant the rooms would need to be demolished before they had ever hosted a single guest.
The blow went beyond his personal investment. Kaburu revealed that the planned project would force his entire village to relocate, displacing a community that had long called the area home.
Reflecting on what had unfolded, he pointed to the often-hidden cost that large infrastructure projects carry for the individuals and families caught in their path.
“Sometimes, the price of progress is deeply personal,” he said.
His account did not include details on compensation arrangements, the demolition timeline, or the exact status of the proposed realignment at the time of writing.
Why Nithi Bridge Needs Upgrade
For decades, residents living near Nithi Bridge in Tharaka-Nithi had grown accustomed to witnessing fatal road accidents at the dangerous crossing.
Despite the hundreds of lives lost, successive administrations have made promises about the black spot that never materialised.
The long wait is finally set to bear fruit after the government started working towards constructing a new bridge.
