Roads dominate development budget in Treasury estimates

The roads sector will take the lion’s share of the country’s 2026/27 development budget as President William Ruto rushes to fulfil a majority of his promises before the 2027 general elections. 

Draft budget estimates for the period show that the government plans to spend Sh840.6 billion in development projects, with the State Department for Roads taking the most allocation at Sh176.9 billion. 

The State Department for Housing and Urban Development is allocated Sh132.7 billion, while the State Department for Economic Planning has Sh62.5 billion slotted for it. 

With just 16 months to the next general elections, the allocations in the estimates show how important this Sh4.8 trillion budget is to President Ruto’s re-election bid for a second term. 

From the numbers, the roads sector will gobble up 21 per cent of the total development budget. Of the Sh176.9 billion, Sh92.2 billion will come in as appropriations in aid, while Sh84.7 billion will come in as net estimates from the exchequer. 

While detailing the allocations on roads, the National Treasury references achievements made during the 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 periods, where actual expenditures stood at Sh159 billion, Sh150.3 billion and Sh192.6 billion.

“The major achievements during the review period included the construction of 1,798 km of roads, rehabilitation of 306 km of roads, construction of 80 bridges, routine maintenance of 102,560 km of roads and periodic maintenance of 2,110 km of roads,” reads the draft estimates in part.

It details notable projects undertaken during the period, which include the dualling of Nairobi Eastern Bypass, upgrading of Eastland roads, construction of Mombasa Southern Bypass, Eldoret town bypass and completion of South Sudan Link Road and Nairobi Western Bypass.

A keen look at the numbers shows how President Ruto is determined to fulfil a majority of his promises, notwithstanding some being roadside declarations, through this budget. 

“In the medium-term period for the FY2026/27 to FY2028/29, the State Department is committed to completing the construction of 1,891 km of roads, constructing 24 bridges, rehabilitating 515 km of roads, maintaining 78,320 km of roads through the routine maintenance programme, and maintaining 1,224 km of roads under the periodic maintenance programme,” the document reads.

For example, in September last year, while hosting leaders from Turkana County at State House, Nairobi, he promised the delegation led by Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai that his administration would refit the Maili Tisa-Kitale-Kainuk-Lokichar Road. 

In the estimates, the Kainuk-Lokichar project has been allocated Sh325 million, while Morpus-Kainuk is slotted to receive Sh405 million. 

Likewise, in October last year, President Ruto launched the tarmacking of the Turbo-Sikhendu Road in Kakamega County, which is part of a larger project that terminates at Endebess, estimated to cost over Sh3.6 billion. 

This road is meant to connect the agricultural counties of Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, Kakamega and Uasin Gishu, therefore easing the transport of food crops. 

In the estimates, the Turbo-Nzoia River-Sikhendu-Endebess Road project has a gross estimated expenditure of Sh195 million. 

The famous Modogashe -Mandera Road that passes through Habasweini, Samatar and Rhamu, has been allocated Sh1 billion. 

Similarly, the President gave a pledge last year to dual the Bomas – Ongata Rongai – Kiserian Road, which, in the 2026/27 estimates, has been allocated Sh350 million. 

“We have many people working in Nairobi living in Kiserian, Ongata Rongai, Ngong, and there is a lot of traffic during rush hours.  I would like to announce that starting next year, the Bomas-Ongata Rongai- Kiserian Road and the Bomas-Karen-Shade Hotel-Ngong’-Embulbul-Kiserian Road will be made dual carriageways,” he said during the 2025 Jamhuri Day celebrations. 

Apart from constructing major artery roads, the estimates also show that the President seeks to ensure his other projects under the Bottom-up Economic Transformational Agenda (BETA), which may have been viewed as unrealistic, are viable. 

Among them is the Affordable Housing Project, where the estimates indicate several allocations for feeder roads to these units. 

This also explains why the State Department for Housing and Urban Development has the second largest allocation according to the estimates at Sh132.7 billion. 

From the estimates, Sh151.4 million has been allocated to construct access roads to affordable housing facilities. 

Additionally, Sh689 million has been allocated for access roads to industrial parks, which President Ruto’s BETA agenda is banking on to unlock grassroots economies. 

The Affordable Housing Projects to benefit from access roads include Shauri Moyo Housing Project, allocated Sh19.9 million, Mariguini, Sh22.9 million, Kibera Housing Project, Sh24.3 million, and East Africa Portland Cement Housing Project, Sh65.7 million. 

For industrial parks, Mombasa Road (DEVKI)-Kinanie Park/Kinanie Leather Park has been allocated Sh89.3 million, while the Mombasa Special Economic Zone Development Project Sh600 million. 

Under the State Department for Water & Sanitation, whose budget is at Sh48 billion, the Affordable Housing Water Supply has been allocated Sh60 million. 

Other key allocations in the budget are Sh56.9 billion to the State Department for Transport, Sh43 billion to the State Department for Agriculture, Sh28.8 billion to the State Department for Sports, Sh51.8 billion to the National Treasury, Sh10.6 billion to the Ministry of Defence, and Sh12.5 billion to the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services. 

State House is scheduled to receive Sh1.03 for development, where a majority of the cash will be used for building maintenance and refurbishment. 

State House, Nairobi’s gross expenditure in the period itemised as general maintenance stands at Sh530.4 million. Eldoret State Lodge has been allocated Sh40 million for the same, and Sh21.3 million for State House Sagana. 

A total of Sh201.3 million will go into refurbishing buildings at Mombasa State House and Sh98.7 million for Nakuru State House. 

Rehabilitation works at Kisumu State Lodge are estimated to cost Sh90 million, while those for Kakamega will cost Sh20 million. Kisii State Lodge has been allocated Sh12.6 million. The work for this is, however, not indicated.

Ageing and dilapidated infrastructure have been tabled as the justifiable reason behind the millions allocated for the refurbishment and rehabilitation of State Lodges.

 “The challenges faced during the review period 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25, include inadequate budgetary provision and the financial burden of maintaining ageing infrastructure at State Houses and State Lodges. To address these challenges, the State House continuously engaged with the National Treasury and the National Assembly to seek additional funding,” the estimates read.