By Leon Mutwiri
The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Patrick Mariru, today toured several construction sites in Meru County to assess the progress of the ongoing projects being undertaken by the national government.
Speaking at Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital, where he inspected the construction of a new hospital block expected to accommodate more than 300 beds, Mariru lauded the impressive progress of the projects.
He noted that construction is on schedule and is expected to be completed by January next year.
The Principal Secretary also inspected ongoing works at Nyambene Level 4 Hospital and the proposed Maua Stadium.
“The regional hospital is expected to serve residents across the Central and Eastern region. It will have its first phase completed by November 2026, while the second phase, which is being undertaken simultaneously, is expected to be finished by January 2027,” said the PS.
The PS reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring all the projects are completed in time.
“Even if it means introducing double shifts or adding more workers, the projects must be completed and handed over to the people of Meru and the region,” he insisted.
The PS revealed that the construction at the Nyambene Level 4 Hospital is currently underway with at least 15 percent of works completed noting that it is set to be operational by the end of this November.
On the proposed Maua Stadium, PS Mariru said construction work is yet to kick off since the county government is still consulting with the local residents in a bid to secure enough land for the project.
“We did not want to build just a community stadium. We wanted a 10,000-seater stadium like those being constructed in other parts of the country,” he said, adding that the stadium will take approximately nine months to complete once the land issue is amicably resolved.
The Principal Secretary is also expected to inspect similar government projects in Nanyuki, Nyeri and Othaya, where he will assess the progress of stadium and hospital construction.
He was accompanied by several leaders, including Meru County Deputy Governor Linda Kiome.
