Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi

Before independence Baringo was a closed district with lagging development. During the 1980s, the pace of development increased tremendously due, perhaps, to the opening-up of the district by way of investments in road. Road projects are an integral part of Kenya's regional development policy. Investment in roads is considered to have potential and desirable impact on standards of living. However, any type of infrastructure investment invariably results in social, economic political and environmental changes that were Initially neither exacted nor desired. The proposed study is an attempt to assess the social and economic impacts of rural roads on different, household , in the district. The analysis will focus ori the processes of social and economic changes which have accompanied or resulted from investments on road networks in Baringc District over the last ten vears.