Tokayev orders government to fix Kazakhstan's roads, calls neglect sabotage

September 19, 2026 at 03:11 PM2 min

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President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered the government and regional governors to prioritize road quality across Kazakhstan, calling the unresolved problem a national disgrace and sabotage. Speaking at the Taza Kazakhstan environmental campaign in Astana, he pledged strict legal measures against those responsible.

Key Facts

Tokayev called Kazakhstan's road quality the country's 'Achilles' heel' and said failure to fix it was 'shameful' or 'sabotage'.
The president ordered the government and akims to pay the closest attention to roads inside cities and on intercity routes.
Tokayev announced that violators of construction requirements would be held accountable under the law.
The president said he would personally oversee construction quality across Kazakhstan.
Tokayev praised Astana's Urbanism Center and instructed akims to replicate its model in other regions.

Road Quality Criticism

Tokayev described Kazakhstan's road quality as the country's 'Achilles' heel' during the Taza Kazakhstan campaign in Astana. He said no one had managed to solve the problem, calling that failure 'shameful' and suggesting some officials simply did not want to fix it, which he termed 'sabotage'. The president ordered the government and regional governors to pay the closest attention to roads both inside cities and beyond large and small settlements. He warned that measures would be taken 'with the full severity of the law' against those responsible.

Construction Quality Control

Tokayev announced he would personally oversee construction quality in Kazakhstan, citing ongoing projects for schools, hospitals, cultural and sports facilities, and roads. He stated that violators of construction requirements and established rules would be held accountable in accordance with legislation. The president said the goal of this work was to improve quality of life and create comfortable conditions for residents. Tokayev highlighted the work of Astana's Urbanism Center, which develops proposals for a comfortable urban environment and considers residents' opinions. He instructed akims to scale up the center's experience in other regions and intensify work in this direction.