By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya, 18 May 2026 - The National Land Commission (NLC) has announced plans to begin the compulsory acquisition of land to realign the Nithi River Bridge along the Makutano–Embu–Meru highway.
In a gazette notice, the National Land Commission Chairman Abdillahi Alawy said that the acquisition of the 50 land parcels will be made on behalf of the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA), which will oversee the construction of the project.
According to the commission, the affected sections include land in Kathera, Mungania, and other surrounding areas, with some property owners already identified while others remain listed as “TBD” pending ownership confirmation. The land sizes range from as low as 0.0015 hectares to nearly 2 hectares.
The Nithi Bridge is considered one of the country's most notorious black spots, especially due to its complicated design.
Due to its steep descent, sharp turns, and lack of proper safety precautions, the bridge has seen numerous deadly crashes for decades.
According to the new designs displayed by KeNHA earlier this year, the new bridge will span approximately 2.7 kilometres, including an 880-metre-long bridge.
It will also feature an eight-metre-wide carriageway, complemented by two-metre pedestrian walkways on both sides.
It will also incorporate a maximum gradient of eight per cent along the approach sections to improve safety and geometric standards, thus reducing the impact of the current steep slopes and sharp horizontal curves that have long posed risks to motorists.
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At its highest point, the bridge will rise to approximately 100 metres above the valley floor, positioning it as a potential engineering landmark and tourist attraction in East and Central Africa," KeNHA stated on a notice on 25 February 2026.
"The revised alignment and moderated gradients are expected to enhance geometric design standards, improve road safety, and ensure smoother traffic flow along this critical corridor," it added.
President William Ruto has repeatedly reassured that the redesign of the section will be complete before the 2027 General Election, with the construction process expected to cost KSh 7 billion.
The NLC has directed affected land owners and other interested persons to inspect plans for the affected land at Ardhi House in Nairobi and at the County Coordinator’s offices in Meru during official working hours.
In a separate notice, the commission has also issued a similar notice to residents of Homa Bay County, targeting land that shall be utilised for the realignment of the Homa Bay-Rongo (B3) Road and the planned expansion of Kabunde Airstrip in the county.
The 86 targeted parcels comprise agricultural land, residential areas, and institutional property, with owners including farmers, religious institutions, a public university, and county government agencies.