The long-awaited Rironi-Mau Summit Highway Construction works are expected to commence in August. This information was announced by President William Ruto. The President said that both the design work and other technical aspects of the highway project are almost complete.
Additionally, the groundbreaking of the project is scheduled for two months’ time.
Rironi-Mau Summit Highway Construction Project Factsheet
Length: Approximately 170-175 kilometers
Cost: Approximately $2 billion
Financing model: Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with the contractor expected to recover costs through toll collections.
Project start date: August
Completion date: July 2027
Contractors and previous agreements:
- Previous agreement: in the previous agreement, a concession agreement was signed with a consortium of French firms under Rift Valley Connect. This consortium comprised of Vinci Highways SAS, Meridiam Infrastructure Africa Fund, and Vinci Concessions SAS. This agreement was for a 30-year concession to design, build, finance, operate, maintain, and transfer the highways.
- Termination of the previous agreement: unfortunately, the Kenyan government terminated the agreement with the French consortium. This was as a result of a contractual dispute and disagreement on terms. The Kenyan government is expected to pay a Ksh6.2 billion contractual obligation settlement.
Current bids:
- China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) in a joint bid with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
- Shandong Hi Speed Road and Bridge International Engineering Company.
Completion Date
“We have come to an agreement with the contractors to speed up the project and finish it by the year 2027. However, if not, they should have done a substantial portion of the project of it by that time,” he said.
Also read: Kenya’s 170-Kilometer Nakuru-Nairobi Highway Construction to Commence in July
The President made these remarks at an event in which he hosted a delegation of leaders from Nakuru County at State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday.
The attendees of the event included Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, Trade and Investments Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui, and other leaders.
Number of Lanes on the Highway
President Ruto elaborated that the Rironi-Mau Summit Road will consist of four lanes from Rironi to Naivasha town. Additionally, it will consist of improvements on the Maai Mahiu-Naivasha road.
Also read: Kenya’s €1.3 Billion Nairobi-Nakuru Dual-Carriageway Deal to be Awarded to a Chinese Contractor
Lastly, the road will eventually expand to six lanes from Naivasha town to Nakuru City. This is in order to adequately accommodate the high volume of traffic on this route.
Also read: Kenya to Secure Multi-Billion Loan for the Construction of the 124-kilometre Kenya-Tanzania Road
