The Cabinet has directed the construction of the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway to begin by June 1, 2025.
According to a Cabinet dispatch seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the government’s highest decision-making organ directed that the groundbreaking of the road be expected to end the tourmotious journey to the country’s west by June.
The Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway, also known as the Rironi-Mau Summit Road, is a critical segment of the Northern Corridor, connecting Nairobi to western regions and neighbouring countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The project aims to upgrade the existing 175-kilometer A8 highway from Rironi to Mau Summit into a four-lane dual carriageway.
“Cabinet directed the finalisation of the construction framework and the groundbreaking of the 170km four-lane Rironi-Mau Summit Road by June 1, 2025,” said the Cabinet.
According to the scope of the project seen by this publication, the project will include widening approximately 175 kilometers of the A8 highway between Rironi and Mau Summit into a four-lane dual carriageway from the current two.
The Cabinet said the project would take 24 months to complete, with the target date of June 2027.
“This road development is expected to ease transport and travel from Nairobi through Nakuru to Western Kenya, a route that has long suffered from serious traffic congestion on weekends and during national holidays,” the Cabinet asserted.
Initially, the project was structured as a PPP, with the Rift Valley Highway Limited—a consortium comprising Vinci Highways SAS, Meridiam Infrastructure Africa Fund, and Vinci Concessions SAS—responsible for designing, financing, constructing, operating, and maintaining the highway for a 30-year concession period. The consortium planned to recoup its investment through toll fees collected from road users.
Despite initial agreements, the project faced several challenges, leading to delays and eventual restructuring. The government was obligated to make service payments to the project company for the initial 13 years, after which toll revenues were expected to break even with project costs.
However, due to fiscal constraints and concerns over additional financial risk exposure, the government initiated a voluntary project termination process, citing affordability and fiscal sustainability issues.
In early 2023, the government terminated the contract with the French consortium, primarily due to concerns over the financial implications of the service payments and the absence of an alternative route for motorists who did not wish to pay toll fees.
Following the termination, the government sought new partners to undertake the project. In July 2024, discussions were held with Chinese investors to explore possibility of reviving the project under new terms.
