Construction of the Rironi-Mau Summit Road is expected to commence in June this year following a directive by the Cabinet.
In a meeting chaired on Tuesday by President William Ruto, the Cabinet directed the finalisation of the construction framework and groundbreaking of the multibillion shillings project which has been on hold for a period of time.
The road which is expected to be undertaken by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KenHA) will see the 170km road upgraded from the current single carriageway to a dual carriageway.
“The project will upgrade the road from a two-way single carriageway to a four-lane dual carriageway, significantly improving traffic flow. 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,” stated a brief from the Cabinet Office.
In 2019, the government had proposed to construct the road under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model at a cost of $700 million (Ksh 90.3b).
According to the earlier proposal by KenHA, civil works on the project include a four lane dual carriageway with a further expansion into a six lane carriageway in sections depending upon traffic volumes. Additionally, the project construction works would include strengthening of 57.8 km of the A8-South highway between Rironi and Naivasha via Mai Mahiu.
“The project, which is set for completion within 24 months, with a target date of June 2027, is part of Kenya’s broader infrastructure transformation aimed at enhancing connectivity across the country and the region, while driving economic growth,” the Cabinet stated.
Rironi-Mau Summit Road is part of the northern corridor trade route which runs from Mombasa to the East and Central Africa hinterlands.
