The hum of machinery, the scent of fresh tarmac and the steady rise of Modern Markets have become familiar sights across Mt Kenya region reviewed by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki recent tours to inspect the ongoing government projects in the region .
His recent tours have turned routine inspections into a vivid narrative of a government eager to prove that its promises are taking shape on the ground.
Kindiki’s approach has been marked by a difference with less talk, more footsteps which can be translated as ‘action speak louder than words ‘over the past few weeks, he has crisscrossed Meru, Embu,Nyeri and Kirinyaga Counties just not a political tour but walking construction sites, pausing at roads constructions projects and stepping into markets still echoing with the sounds of builders at work and glimpse of transformative life changing projects.
In Meru, the tour takes on a deeper rhythm from Imenti North to Buuri and Tigania East and West.
The Deputy President has moved through four sub-counties, tracing the footprint of development that stretches across all nine constituencies in the area .
Here, billions are not just figures on paper but they are roads being carved through hills, bridges rising over valleys and pathways opening up once-isolated communities to boost trade and social life .
The numbers are staggering, roads alone account for nearly Sh 39.5 billion, a figure that signals both ambition and urgency
Some of these projects had once stalled signaling a silent reminder of broken timelines but are now back to life, their revival symbolizing a renewed push under the administration of President William Ruto.
Yet it is not only the highways that tell the story. In market centres scattered across the County just to mention but a few Kianjai, Maua, Laare, Mutuati and Mikinduri have new structures now emerging to mark modern and expansive trading centres which are not just buildings but future hubs of commerce where farmers will bargain, traders will thrive and livelihoods will be reshaped.
Seventeen such markets, costing Sh 2 billion, are nearing completion, each one a promise of economic renewal.
Further afield, 12 smaller but equally vital Economic Stimulus Programme markets are taking root in towns like Timau and Kiirua with their modest budgets between Sh 55 million and Sh 70 million where these spaces will be the heartbeat of rural economy growth.
Electricity, too, is threading its way into homes and businesses with more than 26,000 new connections being underway, powered by an investment of Sh 2.3 billion.
In Nyambene, a new substation is rising, its silent promise being a future where power outages are fewer and opportunity flows uninterrupted.
Kindiki also recently inspected the uplifting of Meru Level 6 Teaching and Referral Hospital, where a Sh 1 billion facelift is underway to improve health care service in Meru and other neighbouring counties .
And then there is Kinoru Stadium which is complete, towering and alive with possibility seating at a cost of Sh 900 million, its 10,000 seats are ready to host not just matches but dreams of international standards
Nearby, plans for the Sh 3.7 billion Meru town link roads hint at a future where movement within the town will be as seamless as the ambitions driving its growth.
At Gakoromone Market, the Deputy President’s visit took on a more intimate tone amid the buzz of traders and residents.
He outlined the vision for an ultra-modern market backed by Sh 1 billion in government funding noting that policy meets the people where figures translate into hope, and timelines into expectation.
Beyond Meru, the journey continues in Embu, Kindiki walks through the Runyenjes modern market and inspects the Gachoka–Gachuiriri road in Mbeere North.
In Nyeri, he pauses at the Sh 350 million Field Marshal Muthoni Kirima market, while in Kirinyaga, the stretch of road linking Murinduko to Kiandegwa tells its own story of connectivity and change.
Perhaps one of the most symbolic projects lies in Tharaka Nithi County, where the Sh 7 billion Nithi Bridge is under construction.
Known for years as a deadly black spot, the area is now the focus of a project that seeks not just to connect regions, but to save lives.
Throughout the tour, Kindiki’s in his message has remained consistent focusing on development pledging they must be seen and felt.
His visits have also been doubled as civic engagements, where he reassures residents of the government’s commitment while urging leaders to rise above divisive politics.
“You cannot succeed as a leader if the only thing you do is insult others or offer empty talk without solutions,” he laments.
Drawing from his roots as a member of the Njuri Ncheke, he speaks often of respect and restraint, framing leadership as a duty grounded in service rather than confrontation.
As the tour winds through the highlands of Mt Kenya, one thing becoming clear is it’s more than an inspection exercise and promise delivery reviving trade and infrastructure shaping a region’s future.
Edited by John Majau
