President William Ruto has assured the public that work on the Nithi Bridge in Tharaka Nithi County would be completed by 2027.

Speaking on Friday, April 4, 2025, during his Mt Kenya tour at Chuka Town, the head of state noted that road agencies had been given a proposal costing Ksh5 billion.

With the cost of the redesign now understood and properly factored, Ruto promised the locals that the works would be completed by 2027.

According to the head of state, the new plan would help reduce cases of road accidents along that bridge.

“Hii daraja ya Nithi sio yenu pekee yenu, ni ya Kenya nzima. Si Wakenya wote wanapitia hapa?” Ruto posed.

“Sasa watu wa KURA,KERRA na KeNHA wamepanga tumepatiwa bill ya Ksh5 billion ya kutengeneza hio bridge ili iwache kuumiza wananchi wa hapa,” he added.

“Hio yenu ya Nithi ni mtihani yangu kabla ya 2027, lazima nimalize hio,” the head of state promised.

Which loosely translates to: This Nithi Bridge is not yours alone, it belongs to all Kenyans. Do all Kenyans use this road? Ruto posed.

“Now KURA, KERRA and KeNHA officials have planned and have been given a Ksh5 billion bill for redesigning the bridge so that locals can stop suffering,” he added.

“This Nithi Bridge is my test before 2027, I must complete it,” he vowed.

Earlier claim

In a tell-all interview before his Mt Kenya tour commenced, Ruto disclosed that the government was weighing two options for the bridge.

He, however, indicated that his administration would give a way forward after proper consultations.

“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 Ksh5 billion, and they have designed how it is going to happen; the other is going to cost us Ksh50 billion, and they have told us to make a choice,” Ruto said.

The Killer bridge

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 nickname “killer bridge” due to frequent fatal accidents over the years.

In 2000, a bus plunged under the bridge, killing 45 people. The more recent one includes a 2022 bus accident that claimed 33 lives.

During the 2022 campaigns, Ruto promised to redesign the bridge immediately after ascending to power. But the slow progress in fulfilling the promises has left Meru and Tharaka Nithi leaders calling on the head of state to honour his pledge.