Ruto interrupts speech over 'faulty sound system' during launch of Ngong RD viaduct

President William Ruto briefly stopped his speech on Monday to complain about the sound system after residents struggled to respond to his chants during the commissioning of the Ngong Road–Naivasha Road viaduct in Nairobi.

The President had repeatedly rallied the crowd with chants of "Nairobi hoyee!" but the response appeared to be subdued.

"Nairobi hoyee! Nairobi hoyee! Nairobi hoyee! Kanairo mambo!" Ruto said before pausing and turning to members of his technical team.

"There is no loudspeaker, my friend. Hii ma loudspeaker zenu..." he remarked, drawing laughter from the audience.

The light-hearted moment came during the commissioning of the Sh3.8 billion Ngong Road–Naivasha Road viaduct a project the government says will ease traffic congestion and improve the flow of vehicles within the capital.

Addressing the gathering, Ruto described traffic congestion as one of Nairobi's biggest economic challenges, saying it has for years reduced productivity, increased the cost of doing business and wasted valuable time for residents.

He said the new viaduct would eliminate one of the city's most notorious traffic bottlenecks by separating traffic flows and enhancing safety for motorists, pedestrians and public transport users.

According to the Director for Roads Planning and Design at Kenya Urban Roads Authority, Engineer Wilfred Oginga, a viaduct is a road that is elevated and supported above the ground, typically using pillars. Elevating the road, it prevents direct interaction between local and through traffic.

This design allows one road to run above and another below at ground level, effectively eliminating traffic conflicts. 

The 450-metre viaduct, extended to 820 metres including approaches, will cut commute time between Ngong and Nairobi CBD from the current two hours to just 25 minutes.

The President also highlighted that other major infrastructure projects are underway in Nairobi, including the Sh3 billion Upper Hill–Kenyatta Avenue viaduct, which he said is now 60 per cent complete.

He added that the government is upgrading State House Road through a Sh1.6 billion investment, constructing a modern traffic management centre valued at about Sh7.9 billion, and plans to dual the Kiambu Road corridor under a Sh30 billion project.

The Ngong Road–Naivasha Road viaduct was financed through a partnership between the governments of Kenya and Spain and forms part of a broader programme to modernise Nairobi's transport infrastructure