Motorists planning to use the Rironi-Nakuru-Mau Summit (A8) Road on Friday, November 28, have been warned of traffic disruptions ahead of the official launch of the dualling of the 170km corridor by President William Ruto.
In a notice on Wednesday, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) announced a potential go-slow along the busy corridor as a result of the state event, urging motorists to plan ahead of time.
"The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) wishes to notify the public that on Friday, November 28, 2025, the Rironi - Nakuru - Mau Summit (A8) Road will be launched by William Samoei Ruto at various locations," the notice read.
Because the launch is set to take place at different locations, the authority revealed that disruptions would occur along a considerable stretch of the corridor and proceeded to offer alternative routes.
Alternative routes
Motorists heading from Nairobi to Nakuru have been urged to follow the Ngong - Suswa - Narok - Mau Narok - Njoro - Nakuru route. This route is considerably longer, but KenHA, with travellers set to travel 190–195 km instead of the 156–165 km travelled using the direct route via Mai Mahiu.
Alternatively, motorists can use the Nairobi – Thika – Magumu – Njabini – Ol Kalou – Nakuru route to avoid Mai-Mahiu. This route is also longer but has historically endured less traffic.
Motorists travelling from the greater Rift Valley region to Nakuru have been urged to utilise the Nakuru–Kampi ya Moto–Ravine–Makutano route to completely steer clear of the main A8 highway. This route is approximately 80 kilometres.
Finally, an alternative route is the Nakuru–Njoro–Molo–Mau Summit, which serves mainly as an agricultural route since it traverses rich agricultural zones such as Njoro and Molo but is a solid re-route for those avoiding the main highway.
The anticipated launch of the dualling of the 175-kilometre Rironi-Naivasha-Mau Summit Road is set to take place despite reports that no contract has been signed for the Ksh180 billion project.
On November 25, a notice appearing on the MyGov portal stated that KeNHA, which is the contracting authority for the project, had undertaken necessary procedures to evaluate the Project Development Phase (PDP) reports. Two Privately Initiated Proposals (PIPs) have reportedly already been issued to KeNHA for the project.
One of the biggest points of contention in the dualling of the road was the fact that motorists would be subjected to tolls. KeNHA, however, previously announced that it would map out alternative routes for motorists who wished to avoid paying the toll.
The highway project, which covers 175 kilometres of the A8 Road (Rironi–Nakuru–Mau Summit) and 58 kilometres of the A8 South Road (Rironi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha), will improve connectivity between Nairobi, Central Kenya, the Rift Valley, and Western Kenya, according to KeNHA.
