Ruto boosts Kenyatta family’s Ksh 500B Northlands City project
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Ruto boosts Kenyatta family's Ksh 500B Northlands City project after including more kilometres of tarmacked in the budget
Ruto boosts Kenyatta family’s Ksh 500B Northlands City project after including more kilometres of tarmacked in the budget.
The Kenyatta family’s Ksh500 billion Northlands city project received a huge boost after the government included additional kilometer-long sections of the Eastern bypass to be tarmacked in the Supplementary Budget.
Northlands city project is being undertaken on an 11,000-acre parcel of land in Ruiru and transverses the Eastern bypass – which stretches from City Cabanas on Mombasa Road to Ruiru.
Instead of the initial 3 kilometers that had been planned for the financial year, the government intended to dual 10 kilometers of the road in Supplementary Estimates.
With the new target set by the government, the project is set to become more accessible and in turn, lucrative to Kenyans once complete.
Upon completion, the Ksh500 billion project is set to have commercial spaces, industrial parks, schools, and residential areas among others.
According to a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) report on the project, 30,010 vehicles are expected to be using the key road every day once the project is completed.
“Projected total daily vehicular trips to and from the development to the west (Thika Road) is given as up to 27,324 at the end of phase 3 while to the East (Eastern Bypass),” read the report in part.
The key road project was among the few projects whose budget was not slashed even as five key roads initiated by former President Uhuru Kenyatta were downscaled.
“Approved estimates have been revised to KSh174 billion under FY 2022/23 Supplementary Estimates No. 1. This comprises Ksh69.3 billion and Ksh104.7 billion for current and capital expenditures respectively,” read the budget in part.
This effectively reflects a net decrease of Ksh47.3 billion which was mainly attributed to budget rationalization.
Some of the road projects earmarked for downscaling were Arusha-Holili-Voi Road, Mau Mau Road, and the Thika-Kenol-Maua Road.
Kisumu-Miwani-Chemelil-Muhoroni Road and Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project were also downscaled in the new budget allocations.
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The move by Ruto’s government came as a shocker to many given the frosty relationship the duo has enjoyed since the 2022 General Election.
In recent days the Kenyatta family had faced off with the government over alleged tax exemption claims.
“It is a fact that every employed Kenyan should pay income tax, irrespective of their job group. That is not up for discussion. There is no need to malign someone, to seem as though you are doing something,” she stated.
“Even if it is me, that I have foregone a year without paying taxes, let my wealth be confiscated so that it can help pay the taxes,” Former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta addressed the claims.
Ruto on the other hand maintained that all Kenyans would pay taxes in his government.
“I am happy that as a country we have agreed and built a consensus that irrespective of your status or all other considerations, whatever region and religion you have come from, we have agreed that there will be no waiver of taxes for anybody. We have agreed that everyone will pay their taxes,” the President stated.
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