The Cabinet Tuesday directed the finalisation of the construction framework and the groundbreaking of the 170km four-lane Rironi-Mau Summit Road by June 1, 2025.
The project will upgrade the road from a two-way single carriageway to a four-lane dual carriageway, significantly improving traffic flow.
This road development is expected to ease transport and travel from Nairobi through Nakuru to Western Kenya, a route that has long suffered from serious traffic congestion on weekends and during national holidays.
The project, which is set for completion within 24 months, with a target date of June 2027, is part of Kenya’s broader infrastructure transformation aimed at enhancing connectivity across the country and the region, while driving economic growth.
President William Ruto chaired the meeting and announced that construction of the Bomas International Convention Complex will begin in two weeks, marking a major milestone in the government’s plan to transform the facility into a world-class conferencing hub.
The project aims to redefine the look, feel, and purpose of Bomas, positioning it as a premier destination for global events.
The cabinet was also briefed on the progress of the Talanta Hela Stadium at Jamhuri Park, Nairobi, which is now 40% complete.
Once finished, the 60,000- seater stadium will be Kenya’s largest, with the government aiming to complete
it by the end of this year.
This underscores its commitment to modernising sports infrastructure.
The last time a stadium of this magnitude was built in Kenya was 45 years ago – Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani – making Talanta Hela a landmark achievement in the country’s sporting history.
At the same time, the Cabinet approved new measures to enhance the tourism sector, improving its competitiveness and sustainability. In 2024, international arrivals increased by 14.6% to 2.4 million, generating Sh452.2 billion in revenue.
With three million tourists expected to visit Kenya in 2025, the government will focus on sustainable tourism, enhanced marketing strategies, and investment in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) facilities, as well as cruise tourism infrastructure and positive destination profiling.
Key initiatives include promoting eco-friendly tourism practices, expanding community-based tourism, and targeting key markets such as the United States and China.
Notably, cruise tourism has surged 163.5%, prompting further investment in port facilities.
Meanwhile, domestic tourism continues to thrive, with bed-night occupancy rising by 12% in 2024.
To enhance public health and safety, the Cabinet has approved a nationwide asbestos removal initiative from all public and private facilities to mitigate health risks associated with asbestos exposure.
Asbestos, extensively used in Kenya’s construction industry in the 1960s and 1970s, remains in government buildings, hospitals, schools, and even water supply systems.
Classified as a human carcinogen, asbestos exposure is linked to severe health conditions, including lung cancer and mesothelioma (a cancer that develops in the tissue lining of the lungs, abdomen and heart).
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) will oversee the safe removal, disposal, and handling of asbestos.
County governments were urged to establish designated disposal sites.
Under the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle, property owners will bear the cost of removal.
The government anticipates that this initiative will reduce future disease burden, cut healthcare costs, and enhance environmental safety.
In a move to address youth unemployment, the Cabinet has endorsed the Internship and Volunteer Policy and Guidelines for the Public Service, providing a standardised framework to streamline the recruitment, engagement, and management of interns and volunteers across government institutions.
The policy addresses inconsistencies in existing fragmented programmes, ensuring fair terms of engagement while creating structured pathways for youth employment.
With thousands of graduates entering the job market annually, the framework aims to bridge the education-to-employment gap by equipping young professionals with hands-on skills essential for career progression.
It also formalises volunteerism in public service, recognising its critical role in disaster response, national development, and community service.
It covers degree, diploma, and professional certificate holders, ensuring equitable opportunities while meeting professional licensing requirements in fields such as medicine and law.
In a bid to enhance the stability, efficiency, and competitiveness of Kenya’s Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs), the Cabinet has approved amendments to the Sacco Societies Act, 2008.
The proposed reforms, outlinedin the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2023—now before Parliament—aim to
modernise financial and technological operations, particularly benefiting smaller SACCOs.
Key reforms include a SACCO Shared Services Framework, allowing the financial institutions to pool resources, adopt fintech solutions, and enhance cooperation, while maintaining operational independence.
A Central Liquidity Facility will facilitate inter-SACCO transactions, short-term lending, and participation in the National Payment System, while a centralised data repository will improve regulatory oversight and efficiency.
Reforms to the Deposit Guarantee Fund will ensure better protection of SACCO deposits, reduce government bailout risks, and strengthen the cooperative financial sector.
By lowering operational costs, fostering innovation, and boosting public confidence, these reforms position SACCOs as key players in Kenya’s financial inclusion and economic empowerment agenda.
To promote gender equality and economic participation, the Cabinet sanctioned the National Policy on Women’s Economic Empowerment, a landmark initiative aimed at removing systemic barriers and ensuring women’s full participation in Kenya’s economy.
Aligned with the Constitution, Vision 2030, and the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda, the policy seeks to bridge gender gaps in financial inclusion, property ownership, skills development, and market access.
Developed through extensive consultations at both national and county levels, the policy establishes a coordinated framework among government ministries,
the private sector and civil society organisations to drive women’s economic inclusion.
The key objectives include creating a supportive economic environment for women entrepreneurs, strengthening public-private partnerships and promoting gender-sensitive data collection to inform future interventions.
A monitoring framework will track progress to ensure measurable impact on women’s economic advancement.
Additionally, the Cabinet reinforced Kenya’s commitment to inclusion, accessibility, and equal opportunities by approving the Persons with Disabilities National Policy, 2024. Despite previous efforts, many individuals with disabilities
continue to face barriers to education, employment, and social participation.
The policy, developed through extensive public engagement, focuses on increasing awareness, enhancing accessibility, promoting economic empowerment, and ensuring dignity and autonomy for persons with disabilities.
In line with Vision 2030, the policy ensures that Kenya upholds its responsibility to create an inclusive society where no one is left behind.
In addressing refugee management, the Cabinet endorsed the Shirika Plan, a transformative framework shifting Kenya’s approach from humanitarian aid to a development-focused model.
The plan seeks to integrate refugees into host communities by transforming camps into sustainable settlements equipped with
essential infrastructure, resources, and economic opportunities.
Implementation will be led by a multi-stakeholder coalition, including the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, development partners, NGOs and faith-based organisations.
To strengthen governance and public service efficiency, the meeting approved the Public Service Human Resource Management and Development Bill, 2024, alongside the Public Finance Management (Training Revolving Fund) Regulations, 2024.
The Bill establishes uniform HR policies across government institutions, addressing inefficiencies in recruitment, payroll, training, and career progression.
It also grants the Public Service Ministry enforcement authority to standardise policies, ensuring streamlined operations.
The Training Revolving Fund Regulations will support professional development, addressing skills
mismatches and inefficiencies while ensuring continuous capacity-building for public servants.
These measures mark a significant step towards improving governance, service delivery, and workforce productivity across Kenya’s public sector.
The Cabinet also approved other plans including hosting of the 2025 World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally between March 20-23, 2025, in Naivasha, Nakuru County, elevation of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital to a national teaching and referral facility and its establishment as a State corporation and upgrading of Siaya Institute of Technology, Bumbe Technical Training Institute, Kipsoen Technical & Vocational College, and Kisiwa Technical
Training Institute to national polytechnic status.
They also approved the implementation of the Bosto Multi-purpose Dam and Mokubo Water Supply projects in Bomet and Kisii counties, respectively, establishment of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science as a specialised postgraduate degree awarding institution of strategic national importance and Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs, and HelpAge International Kenya to help the elderly lead dignified,
healthy, and secure lives.
The meeting approved the execution of the agreement between Kenya and Somalia on Defence Cooperation and establishment of frameworks for cooperation in the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space between the Kenya Space Agency and the Rwanda Space Agency, as well as between the Kenya Space Agency and
the Egyptian Space Agency.
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