NAIROBI, KENYA – President William Ruto on Monday, November 17, 2025, announced that construction on the long-delayed 170-kilometre Rironi-Naivasha-Mau Summit dual carriageway will officially commence on Friday, November 28, 2025. The project, a critical upgrade to the Northern Corridor, is poised to significantly reduce travel times, enhance road safety, and bolster trade between Nairobi, Western Kenya, and neighbouring landlocked countries.

The announcement came after a meeting at State House, Nairobi, with Zhang Bingman, President of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), whose subsidiary, China Roads and Bridges Corporation (CRBC), will undertake the construction. "This will herald a major milestone for this critical part of the Northern Corridor... bringing an end to decades of agonising traffic gridlock, congestion, delays, and disastrous accidents," President Ruto stated.

Simultaneously, the government will also break ground on the 58km dualling of the Rironi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha road, further expanding connectivity in the region.

A Project of Strategic National Importance

The Rironi-Mau Summit highway is a vital artery for East Africa, carrying nearly 40% of Kenya's trade traffic and serving as a gateway to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The upgrade will transform the existing two-lane single carriageway into a modern four-lane dual carriageway, with some sections expanding to six lanes to accommodate projected traffic growth. President Ruto revealed he had previously rejected a two-lane dual carriageway design, insisting on a more expansive plan to prevent future congestion.

The project is expected to create approximately 1,500 jobs during its construction phase and another 200 during operation, providing a significant boost to local economies along the corridor. Economists and transport experts anticipate the upgraded highway will lower vehicle operating costs, reduce travel times between Nairobi and Nakuru by half, and enhance the competitiveness of Kenyan goods by streamlining supply chains.

Financing Through Public-Private Partnership

The project will be executed under a 30-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, structured as a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain-Transfer agreement. The consortium selected as the preferred bidder comprises CRBC and Kenya's National Social Security Fund (NSSF), with NSSF holding a 40% equity stake. This model allows the government to leverage private capital and expertise for the estimated KSh 180 billion project without adding to the national debt.

The PPP Directorate has assured the public that the highway will remain a wholly state-owned asset throughout the concession period. "The PPP model allows private players to finance and maintain infrastructure for a defined period, but overall control, regulation, and policy direction remain with the State," explained Eng. Kefa Seda, Director-General of the PPP Directorate, in an October 26, 2025 statement.

Motorists using the new expressway will pay a toll, with a proposed base rate of KSh 8 per kilometre for passenger cars, which is expected to increase by one percent annually. The government has confirmed that the existing road will be preserved as a toll-free alternative, ensuring freedom of choice for all road users.

A History of Delays and New Beginnings

The journey to this groundbreaking has been protracted. An initial EUR 1.3 billion deal with a French consortium including VINCI Highways and Meridiam, signed in 2020, was terminated by the government in May 2025 due to concerns over the cost and financial risk to the state. The project faced multiple postponements as the new administration renegotiated the terms to ensure affordability.

The selection of the CRBC-NSSF consortium marks a new chapter for the strategic highway. The project is now targeted for completion by June 2027. With construction set to begin, the focus now shifts to delivering this transformative infrastructure on time and within budget, finally realizing a long-held vision for Kenya's economic future.