Emali-Matiliku Road Upgrade Advances Under Wider Ukia-Emali Highway Project

The upgrade of the 20-kilometre (12.4-mile) Emali-Matiliku (A5) road to bitumen standards is progressing well, according to Dr. Raymond Omollo, Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration.

The stretch forms Phase One of the broader 42-kilometre (26-mile) Ukia-Emali (B107) road project, which President William Ruto launched in November 2025.

Once complete, the full 42-kilometre corridor will link Emali, Matiliku and Ukia, with planned future connectivity extending toward Wote Town.

Tarmacked sections. /Handout

Aerial images accompanying the post showed a partially completed dual carriageway cutting through farmland near Emali, alongside earthworks and drainage installation underway closer to Matiliku.Ongoing earthworks./Handout

The road is expected to ease the movement of people and goods across the corridor while providing faster access to the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway (A1), a key trade route linking Kenya's capital to its main coastal port.

Officials say the upgrade should lower transport costs for residents and strengthen trade links between Makueni County's agricultural areas and markets further afield.

Makueni is known for producing mangoes, oranges and other horticultural crops, much of which currently moves along unpaved or poorly maintained rural roads before reaching regional markets.

Implementation of the project continues with support from the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration, through National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) deployed along the corridor.

These officers are coordinating stakeholder engagement, safeguarding public infrastructure at the construction site, and promoting road safety measures during the works, according to the update.

Neither the contractor handling construction nor a specific completion date for the Emali-Matiliku phase was disclosed in the post.

Road upgrades of this scale typically involve earthworks, drainage installation and bitumen surfacing carried out in phases, with dual carriageway sections reserved for stretches expecting higher traffic volumes.

The Ukia-Emali road forms part of a broader push by the national government to expand rural connectivity across Makueni County, an area that has historically relied on gravel and murram roads for much of its trade movement.

Further updates on the project's progress are expected as construction continues toward linking the full Ukia-Emali corridor.