After decades of promises and devastating accidents, the long-awaited reconstruction of the infamous Nithi Bridge could finally be within reach.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki announced during a grassroots forum in Meru that the Cabinet had approved the project during its July 29, 2025 sitting.
The bridge, perched along the Embu–Meru road, has claimed hundreds of lives since the 1980s and remains one of Kenya’s most dangerous black spots.
“We have announced the construction. It has been passed by Cabinet. What we now need is to ensure the funding from China is ringfenced and delivered to kickstart the project,” Kindiki stated.
The Nithi Bridge has been a campaign staple since the Kibaki era, yet each administration has failed to implement lasting reforms despite repeated tragedies.. from a 2000 bus plunge that killed over 45 people, to a 2022 crash that claimed 33 lives, and the latest incident in April 2024, which took four more.
The valley below, though scenic, has turned into a graveyard of broken promises. In April this year, State House spokesperson Hussein Mohammed listed the bridge as a key outcome of President Ruto’s state visit to China.
Two proposals are now on the table — one costing Sh5 billion, and another Sh50 billion, reflecting differing scopes of ambition.
While Kindiki reassured residents that road projects will resume following the settlement of pending bills, the timing remains crucial.
President Ruto had vowed in 2022 to act within 180 days of taking office. Nearly two years later, the bridge remains unchanged, and communities in Meru and Tharaka Nithi continue to wait.
As the 2027 election cycle looms, many will be watching whether the bridge’s reconstruction becomes reality or remains another casualty of Kenya’s infrastructure inertia. For families who’ve lost loved ones, the question is no longer if, but when.
