Baricho Bridge Nears Completion, Unlocking Access to Galana Irrigation and Boosting Trade in Kilifi

Baricho Bridge Nears Completion, Unlocking Access to Galana Irrigation and Boosting Trade in Kilifi
The Government has conducted the substantial completion inspection of the Baricho Bridge and its approach roads in Kilifi County.
The Ksh 241 Million bridge marks a historic first: it is the country’s first-ever Cantilevered Box Girder bridge to be fully designed and supervised by Kenyan engineers. This milestone underscores Kenya’s growing capacity to undertake sophisticated engineering works using local expertise and innovation.
Spanning the wide and often volatile River Sabaki, the Baricho Bridge now provides a reliable, all-weather crossing that connects communities, markets, and key agricultural zones on both sides of the river. For decades, residents and farmers have endured dangerous crossings, long detours and seasonal inaccessibility that disrupted trade, education, and essential services.
The new bridge significantly enhances access to the Galana Irrigation Programme. With improved connectivity, the movement of farm inputs, agricultural extension officers, and harvested produce will now be faster, safer and more predictable. This will reduce post-harvest losses, lower transportation costs, and support more efficient year-round operations within the Galana irrigation blocks.
The improved access roads linked to the bridge also open up wider economic opportunities for Kilifi and neighbouring counties, enabling farmers to reach markets more easily, attracting agribusiness investment, and strengthening the region’s contribution to national food production.
Government officials affirmed that the Baricho Bridge stands not only as an engineering triumph but also as a strategic enabler of agricultural transformation, trade growth, and enhanced security along the Sabaki corridor.
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