President William Ruto has announced that construction works to dual the 170-kilometre Rironi–Naivasha–Mau Summit highway will officially commence on November 28, 2025.
The beginning of the dualing will mark a major breakthrough for one of the most congested stretches of the Northern Corridor.
In a statement, after meeting China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) President Zhang Bingman at State House, Nairobi, the President described the project as a transformative step for transport and trade between Nairobi and western Kenya.
He said the upgrade would finally ease decades of gridlock, delays, and frequent accidents along the busy route.
“The dualling of the 170km Rironi-Naivasha-Mau Summit road begins on November 28, 2025. This will herald a major milestone for this critical part of the Northern Corridor between Nairobi and Western Kenya, facilitating movement and boosting trade and, at the same time, bringing an end to decades of agonising traffic gridlock, congestion, delays, and disastrous accidents,” Ruto said.
On the same day, the Head of State said government will also break ground for the 58km dualling of the Rironi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha road, a project expected to expand transport links and spur economic activity in Kenya’s southern regions.
Ruto noted that CCCC’s subsidiary, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), will undertake the construction of the two key infrastructure projects.
The President hailed Kenya’s partnership with China, noting that it has been instrumental in delivering flagship developments across the country.
“Infrastructure development in our country has made a huge leap forward courtesy of the strong and deep relations between Kenya and China, and Chinese companies,” he said, pointing to previously completed projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway, the Nairobi Expressway, and various road networks.
He added that major China-backed projects remain underway, including Talanta Sports City, 21 new stadia, the Bomas Convention Centre, and the Lamu–Ijara–Garissa road.
Ruto also revealed that additional projects are in the pipeline as part of the government’s long-term infrastructure agenda, among them the extension of the railway to Kisumu and Malaba and the construction of the proposed Galana Dam in Tana River County.
The dualling of the Rironi–Naivasha–Mau Summit corridor is expected to significantly improve mobility along one of East Africa’s most important trade routes, reducing travel time and enhancing regional commerce once completed.
The National Treasury picked the China Road and Bridge Corporation and NSSF Consortium to construct the road project in a public-private partnership.
It will be a toll road under a 30-year concession, with a 30-year tax exemption on toll revenues.
The toll rate, which will increase by one per cent annually, emerged as a crucial factor in the selection process.
The government has, however, indicated that the charge may be subject to negotiation to ensure long-term affordability for users.
“GoK should negotiate a competitive toll tariff as per the contracting authority’s stakeholder engagements findings,” the project tender brief reads.
The project will be financed through a mix of 75 per cent debt and 25 per cent equity (in shillings), with the NSSF’s participation marking significant local investment in the infrastructure.
The consortium will bear the traffic and revenue risks, protecting taxpayers from potential revenue shortfalls.
by BRIAN ORUTA
