Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has revealed that ground breaking for the dualling of the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway will begin by the end of August this year.
While speaking before the Senate on Wednesday, July 16, Chirchir noted that the groundbreaking would signal the beginning of construction works around the 175-kilometer A8 highway.
“We plan to undertake the dualing of the Rironi–Nakuru and Nakuru–Eldoret highways under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) process,” CS Chirchir stated.
“We have gotten several concession proponents, and they are currently going through the development phase. We expect to break ground before the end of August, if all goes well,” he added.
In addition, Chirchir revealed that the government would create a bypass around the Rironi, Mai-Mahiu, and Naivasha areas, describing it as A8 South, separate from the dualing of the A8 main highway.
The bypass, just like the A8 highway, is also set to be dualled to ease congestion around the busy highway.
The highway is a critical segment of the Northern Corridor, connecting Nairobi to western regions and neighbouring countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The project is expected to take 24 months to complete, with a target date of June 2027. It is 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.
So far, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), has received three privately initiated proposals for the upgrade of the highway. In a notice published on Tuesday, July 8, KeNHA revealed that it received a proposal from Multiplex Partners Company for the construction of the 175-kilometre four-lane stretch from Rironi to Mau Summit.
This is in addition to two initial proposals from the China Road and Bridge Corporation and the Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge International company to expand the busy road.
According to KeNHA, proposals from China Road and Bridge Corporation and the Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge International Company were approved on July 22 by the relevant authorities, granting them a head start in the construction of the road.
Despite initial promises by the government to expand the road, the project faced several challenges, including delayed project implementation by contractors.
In April this year, KeNHA was forced to cancel a Ksh190 billion agreement with a French firm that had been hired to expand the road. The decision to end the contract followed the government’s decision to revisit the contract after concerns from KeNHA officials.
Upon completion, Kenyans would be required to pay to use the highway, with the rates to be determined in line with the National Tolling Policy. According to KeNHA, the escalation of toll rates would be done as per the policy.
