President William Ruto on Thursday inspected the ongoing construction of the Rombo section of the Illasit-Rombo-Chala-Njukini-Taveta road, as the government continued to monitor progress on the KSh9.4 billion infrastructure project linking Kajiado and Taita Taveta counties. The 67-kilometre road has reached 48 per cent completion, according to the latest government update, with construction expected to be completed by March 2027. Ruto said the project is intended to improve movement of people and goods between the two counties, reduce travel time and strengthen trade along the corridor. The President inspected the works in Rombo, Kajiado South, on Thursday September 3, as part of a wider development tour of Kajiado County covering roads, bridges, markets, irrigation, electricity, housing and public facilities.
Construction of the road began in June 2025, and the government says the project is progressing ahead of schedule. According to the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, the project is now 48 per cent complete and is expected to be ready by March 2027, about nine months earlier than the original completion timeline. The road is designed to provide an improved connection between Illasit, Rombo, Chala, Njukini and Taveta, creating a direct transport link between parts of Kajiado and Taita Taveta. The government has described the route as an important economic corridor because of its potential to improve the movement of agricultural produce, livestock and other goods between communities and trading centres along the route. Ruto said the improved road is expected to substantially reduce travel time between Kajiado and Taita Taveta.
According to the President, the journey between the two counties could fall from approximately two hours to about 40 minutes once the road is completed. The reduction would be significant for residents who depend on the route for business, transport and access to services. For farmers and livestock traders, a better road could also make it easier to reach markets while reducing the time and logistical difficulties associated with transporting goods over the existing route.
The project also has a regional dimension because of Kajiado’s proximity to Tanzania. Ruto said the improved road would help strengthen cross-border trade with Tanzania, while also improving access to tourism destinations in the wider region. The government expects the corridor to contribute to tourism by improving connectivity between areas around Amboseli National Park in Kajiado and Tsavo National Park in Taita Taveta. The improved road network is expected to make movement between the two counties easier while providing an alternative connection for communities and businesses operating along the route.
The Rombo road inspection was one of several activities on Ruto’s Thursday programme in Kajiado. The President’s itinerary includes visits to Rombo, Loitoktok, Kimana, Namanga and Kajiado Town, where he is inspecting or launching various government projects. In Rombo, Ruto’s programme also includes the Rombo Modern Market and the Rombo Irrigation Project. He is scheduled to proceed to Loitoktok to inspect affordable housing and KMTC student hostels, as well as the Sultan Hamud-Loitoktok electricity project. In Kimana, the President is expected to inspect the modern market before proceeding to Namanga, where his programme includes the Namanga Modern Market, the Namanga-Isinya electricity project, Maparasha Bridge and Lesonkoyo Bridge. The tour will end in Kajiado Town with inspections of affordable housing, student hostels, police housing units and the modern market.
The Rombo project forms part of a broader infrastructure programme that the government says is aimed at improving road connectivity and opening up areas with economic potential. Ruto said during the Kajiado tour that the national government is also undertaking the construction of 220 kilometres of roads in the county at a cost of KSh13 billion. He further said the government was investing KSh28 billion in affordable housing, modern markets and university and college student hostels in the county. The figures form part of the government’s wider development programme in Kajiado, although individual projects remain at different stages of implementation.
The Illasit-Rombo-Chala-Njukini-Taveta road is significant because it extends beyond a single county. The route connects communities in Kajiado with Taita Taveta, creating a transport corridor that can support movement between southern Kenya and areas close to the Tanzania border. Earlier government updates had placed the road’s progress at about 20 kilometres completed out of a 60-kilometre section, while the latest update puts the broader project at 48 per cent completion. Once completed, the road is expected to provide a more reliable connection for residents, traders and motorists using the corridor.
For communities in Rombo and surrounding areas, the immediate issue will be whether construction remains on schedule and whether the promised improvements in travel, trade and access to markets materialise as the project moves towards its March 2027 completion target. The President’s inspection is therefore part of continued government monitoring of a project that officials regard as strategically important for connectivity between Kajiado, Taita Taveta and the Tanzania border.