President William Ruto has termed the 750-kilometre Isiolo-Mandera road a "game-changer" for Northern Kenya, firmly rejecting allegations by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that construction has ground to a halt.

In a pointed rebuttal delivered from the dusty expanses of Isiolo County, the Head of State declared the Sh100 billion project fully on course. His inspection tour of the Kula Mawe–Modogashe section—now 40 percent complete—served as a visual counter-narrative to claims of abandonment, signaling the government's intent to finally open up the frontier counties to the national economic grid.

Connecting the Forgotten North

For decades, the road to Mandera has been a treacherous gauntlet of potholes and insecurity, a symbol of the region's marginalization. The Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project aims to change that narrative irrevocably. "When I announced this road in 2025, many said it was a lie," President Ruto told a gathering of local leaders. "They said it was impossible. But today, the tarmac speaks for itself."

The strategic importance of this artery cannot be overstated. It is not merely a road; it is a lifeline that promises to lower the cost of doing business, improve security response times, and integrate the economies of Isiolo, Wajir, and Mandera with the rest of Kenya and the broader East African region. The President's presence on the ground was a calculated move to reassure jittery investors and residents that the financing—backed by a consortium including the World Bank—remains secure despite the country's fiscal tightening.

• The Gachagua Factor: The tour comes just 24 hours after former DP Rigathi Gachagua alleged that contractors had vacated the site due to unpaid bills, a claim Ruto dismissed as "political noise."
• Project Scope: The 750km stretch is the single largest infrastructure project undertaken since independence, dwarfing even the Thika Superhighway in length.

A Race Against Time

While the progress is visible, the clock is ticking. The government has set an ambitious timeline to have the entire stretch navigable by 2028. Engineers on site admit that the harsh terrain and security challenges pose significant hurdles, but the mobilization of equipment observed this week suggests a renewed urgency.

"We are correcting historical injustices," Ruto affirmed, standing on a newly laid section of tarmac. "No part of Kenya should be left behind." As the presidential motorcade departed, the dust settled on a project that is no longer a mirage, but a concrete reality slowly snaking its way toward the Somali border.