Rironi–Mau Summit highway project tests new PPP financing model

Kenya is implementing the Rironi–Mau Summit highway project, a major infrastructure initiative designed to upgrade the Northern Corridor. The project, valued at approximately Sh170 billion to Sh183 billion, is being delivered through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) led by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).

This project utilizes a new financial model that shifts away from government service payments toward a system based on toll revenues and private-sector assumption of traffic and revenue risk. This approach aims to reduce the long-term repayment burden on the Kenyan national treasury.

Transport Cabinet Secretary David Chirchir announced that the expanded Rironi-Naivasha section is expected to be fully dualled by October 30, 2026. Once this section is complete, construction will proceed from Gilgil toward Nakuru and eventually to Mau Summit. The highway serves as a critical link connecting Nairobi to the Rift Valley and western Kenya, facilitating cargo movement toward Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.