THE government will construct a ring road along Lake Victoria to ease access to the water body and promote tourism. Kenya National Highways Authority officials said a feasibility study has been done and the works are set to begin.

The Kenha Nyanza Regional Assistant Manager Michael Ngala said more than 100 Kilometres road will be constructed 5 kilometres from the water body. He was speaking on Monday when Kenha engineers and other officials toured the 76 kilometres Kisumu-Kericho road worth Sh8.1 billion .

Ngala was accompanied by the roads resident engineer John Okumu and Kenha corporate affairs manager Charles Njogu among other officials. He said the ring road will boost fishing and tourism activities in the area. "The ring road will stretch from Lake Victoria through to South Nyanza," Ngala said. He said its proximity to the Lake will enable investors put up beach hotels to attract tourists. Ngala said the funds to be spent is not part of the Sh20 billion allocated by the government to refurbish roads.

"The roads are touted as a pillar to boost the economic potential of the region that is rich in agriculture and tourism," Ngala said. Ngala also said the Kisumu-Kakamega 51 kilometre road improvement has commenced at a cost of Sh4.4 billion and will take two years to complete. He said the road will have a 10 kilometre dual carriage from Kisumu to Kiboswa and one kilometre at Amalembe before Kakamega town.

Kenha wants to improve 1,600 kilometres road in Nyanza to open the region for development. Kericho-Nyamasaria road and the Sh5.8 billion Nyamasaria-Kisian bypass that covers 25 kilometers are halfway done. Okumu said the Nyamasaria- Kisian road which was commissioned by the former President Kibaki last year will have 16 kilometers lanes on Kapsoit and a lorry park that will hold 200 trucks.

Njogu said Kenha is concerned with the slow pace of the Mau Summit-Kericho-Kisumu highway construction. "Kenha board and management have discussed the matter and the works are going on without a hitch," he said.