Author(s)

Alfred Eshitera¹, Lawrence Esho¹, Casty Gataaka Njoroge¹, Yvone Balan²

¹Department of Spatial Planning and Design, Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.
²DigiReg, Nairobi, Kenya.

In this paper we assess the impact of road network on rural regions development using a case study of Chepyuk and Mitira wards. The two case study areas were selected owing to their comparable agro ecological conditions but different political orientation. The wards have identical agro economic activities due to their similarity in climatic and ecological conditions. Household incomes earned from agricultural enterprises and bid rent per unit area of land are used as indicators of development. The condition of road network is used as an indicator of accessing the rural regions in various seasons of the year. The study provides evidence of the economic advantages associated with better market access, primarily due to the good road infrastructure in Mitira compared to Chepyuk. The good road condition is advantageous to Mitira ward residents allowing them to access other markets hence improving the farm gate value of their products. On the other hand, the prices for Chepyuk products are cheap due to constrained market access necessitated by the poor road condition. For instance, the average price of a liter of milk in Chepyuk ward is Kshs.36.65 compared to Mitira where it goes at Kh.55.08. It therefore implies in Chepyuk milk has to be sold at lower price since access to alternative markets is constrained by poor road condition. The disparity in the road network quality has been occasioned by investment policy by both colonial and consecutive post-independence governments which have given preference to the region where Mitira region is located. This is against the constitutional requirement which proposes an equalization fund for infrastructure development to regions lagging behind in terms of development.

Rural Areas, Regional Development, Road Network, Kenya

Eshitera, A. , Esho, L. , Njoroge, C. and Balan, Y. (2024) The Value of Rural Access Roads: The Case Study of Chepyuk and Mitira Wards in Bungoma and Kirinyaga Counties. Open Journal of Applied Sciences, 14, 2249-2266. doi: 10.4236/ojapps.2024.148151.