• Kenya restructures the PPP for the 233-kilometer Nairobi–Mau Summit corridor.
• Two Sino-Kenyan consortia will now split the project after talks for a single contract collapsed.
• The highway is central to trade flows between Nairobi, western Kenya and regional corridors.

Kenya’s National Highways Authority has outlined a restructuring of the public-private partnership for the expansion of the Rironi–Mau Summit road corridor, according to local media reports. The new model will allow two Sino-Kenyan consortia to share construction of the 233-kilometer route, a key commercial link between Nairobi and the country’s western regions. The decision follows the failure of negotiations for a single contract, after both bidders cited restrictions placed on Chinese state-owned firms for investments exceeding $1 billion.

The Rironi – Mau Summit (A8) Road is a critical section of the Northern Corridor, and its dualling is expected to significantly ease congestion, enhance road safety, and improve the movement of goods and passengers between Nairobi, Nakuru, and Western Kenya. pic.twitter.com/XufTsZ0e2t

— Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) (@KeNHAKenya) November 27, 2025

Under the revised plan, CRBC–NSSF will be responsible for widening the Nairobi–Naivasha–Gilgil segment, as well as the Nairobi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha road (A8 South), covering roughly 139 kilometers. The remaining 94 kilometers—from Gilgil to Mau Summit—will be handled by Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge International.

A corridor central to regional trade

The Nairobi–Mau Summit corridor is the main transit route for goods moving between the capital, western Kenya and the regional corridors serving Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. Designed to absorb rising traffic, the project will convert the road into a four-lane highway, a move officials say will ease chronic congestion, improve safety on a stretch known for frequent accidents, speed up truck movement toward border crossings and lower transport costs and delays.

Full commissioning is expected by 2027.

The African Development Bank, in a report on the project, underscored its importance for boosting Kenya’s logistics competitiveness and supporting regional integration.

A revised contract meant to ease budget pressure

Estimated at 90 billion Kenyan shillings (about $694 million), the investment is far lower than the 190 billion shillings proposed by Rift Valley Highway Ltd., which was initially awarded the project in 2020 before the contract was canceled over cost concerns.

The revised PPP structure, approved on Monday, November 10, aims to ensure greater financial sustainability for the state at a time when Kenya faces constraints in funding major infrastructure projects. Alongside China—now a leading financier of the country’s strategic investments—the government has in recent months turned to bond issuances to help fund road construction and other works.

Henoc Dossa