Cabinet Allows Expansion Of Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Road To 4 Lanes

The Cabinet has directed the Ministry of Transport to finalise the framework of the dualling of the Rironi-Mau Summit Road by June 1, 2025.

According to the latest Cabinet dispatch obtained by Viral Tea, the Cabinet directed that the groundbreaking of the same road be done by June 2025.

The Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway, also referred to as the Rironi-Mau Summit Road, is a vital part of the Northern Corridor, linking Nairobi to western Kenya and neighboring countries, including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The project seeks to expand the current 175-kilometer A8 highway from Rironi to Mau Summit into a four-lane dual carriageway.

President William Ruto during a Cabinet meeting on March 11, 2025. /PCS

"Cabinet directed the finalisation of the construction framework and the groundbreaking of the 170km four-lane Rironi-Mau Summit Road by June 1, 2025. 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," read the dispatch in part.

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 scope of the project will include widening approximately 175 kilometers of the A8 highway between Rironi and Mau Summit into a four-lane dual carriageway from the current two.

The construction of the Rironi-Mau Summit Road has faced delays in recent years, including the termination of a contract previously awarded to a French company. Following the cancellation, the government shifted its focus to securing funding from China to proceed with the project.

“We had a PPP programme with a French company, but it did not work out. However, we have alternatives that we are working on as a government,” President Ruto assured during a church service at the AIC Kipkorgot in Uasin Gishu County on December 22, 2024.

“The commitment I want to give you is that next year, we will begin the construction of the dual carriageway from Nairobi to Nakuru first, and then from Nakuru to Malaba."

This announcement came after the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) revealed on December 20, 2024, that it took note of an increase in traffic volumes along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway. This is hours after hundreds of motorists were left stranded along the major road in what is now becoming an annual occasion.

Kenyans travelling upcountry for the festive period were earlier warned against using the highway due to the heavy traffic congestion. Those who began travelling on Friday, December 20, had been stranded along the busy highway for hours.

The Nairobi-Nakuru Highway has been notorious for prolonged traffic jams, especially near areas like Kimende and Rironi, with some drivers stranded for hours or even overnight.