Construction set to commence on Nairobi-Mau Summit Road

The Nairobi-Mau Summit Road is one of the most highly anticipated projects in Kenya’s infrastructure development and it will begin its construction this year.

As a measure to reduce the government spending on road construction, Murkomen Transport Cabinet Secretary reveals that dualling of 233km highway will be undertaken under PPP model.

The CS made the announcement on Saturday at the inauguration of Haile Selassie Exit Plaza, which is one of Nairobi Expressway’s segment that was recently built in city centre.

Construction Cost

The $1.3 billion (Sh210.6 billion) highway from Rironi in Kiambu County to Mau Summit in Nakuru County was scheduled for kick-off by October 2021 after Kenya signed an agreement with a consortium of three French firms on the project

In fact, the French consortium consisting of Vinci Highways SAS, Meridian Infrastructure Africa Fund and Vinci Concessions SAS were willing to start construction once the project was supported by African Development Bank Group and World Bank.

The three firms had previously been awarded the contract to upgrade the main road from Nairobi to western Kenya into a four-lane dual carriageway on PPP basis.

The consortium was referred to as the Rift Valley Highway Limited, and it is estimated that after 30 years of recouping its investments through toll fees on this road.

But this did not come to pass because of unknown reasons.

While President William Ruto took up the mantle in September 2023, he put it on hold stating that it is uneconomical – with State beginning a review of this venture.

This is said to have led to a rift between the two parties.

Last July, Kenya offered the Nairobi-Mau Summit Road construction to Chinese investors as one of its main infrastructure projects that were available for investment.

Dr. Ruto said, “we are ready to accelerate negotiations and settle on details for the proposed projects that we will implement.”

The President said that the highway could be done either through public-private partnerships or government to government.

Scope

The project will involve the improvement of A8 road between Rironi and Mau Summit to a four-lane dual carriageway with further development into six lanes in some sections.

It will be developed on a PPP arrangement whereby an entity constructs the road and runs it for some time to recover their investment before transferring ownership of the asset back to government.
The work, which also includes the rehabilitation of 57.8 km single carriageway on A8-South highway from Rironi to Naivasha via Mai Mahiu under PPP model will involve installation of toll stations

As the authority said in a past statement, “[The contractor] shall be required to construct, manage and maintain the highway as well recover his money from motorists through user fees.”

In the initial design, Rift Valley Connect was to manage and maintain both Southern Bypass as well as Gitaru-Rironi road that had recently been upgraded.