The government now says that it has given two Chinese companies 25 days to modify their project development plan for the construction of the Rironi-Mau Summit highway that connects Nairobi to Nakuru.
A project development plan is a document that outlines how a project will be executed, monitored, controlled and closed. It defines a project's scope, objective, resources and timelines.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Director General, Luka Kimeli said the government would evaluate the revised project development plan before commencing the construction.
According to Kimeli, the recommendation follows a meeting held on Thursday morning between the National Treasury and members of the Public-Private Partnership committee.
He revealed that during the meeting, the committee reviewed the latest updates on the project, with discussions centred around design and construction standards, projected traffic flow, and timelines for delivery.
It was during the meeting that the committee recommended the modification of the project development by the two Chinese companies.
"Today, from 7am, we held a meeting with the PPP committee so that we can draw new timelines where we are. We received two proposals from two Chinese companies. So we told them to go and modify their Project Development Plan," said Kimeli.
"We gave the two companies until the 25th of August this year to submit the changes. Once they make the changes, it is we will then do the evaluation and negotiation process for us to decide whether to commit and commence the construction," he added.
He further noted that the multi-million-shilling project was highly significant to the current administration, with President President personally involved and committed to its completion.
"The Rironi-Mau Summit road is at the core of this administration; the President himself has committed to ensuring this road is built," the KeNHA boss reiterated.
The latest development comes a fortnight after Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir announced that the construction of the 175-kilometre highway would commence by the end of August this year.
Appearing before the Senate on July 16, Chirchir revealed that the government had received several proposals from private infrastructure development companies that were willing to take up the project.
“We plan to undertake the dualing of the Rironi–Nakuru and Nakuru–Eldoret highways under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) process,” CS Chirchir stated.
“We have gotten several concession proponents, and they are currently going through the development phase. We expect to break ground before the end of August, if all goes well,” he added.
Once complete, the highway is expected to significantly ease traffic congestion along the Northern Corridor, reduce travel time between Nairobi and western Kenya, and enhance road safety.
The project will also boost trade, improve regional connectivity, and stimulate economic growth across the corridor.
