President William Ruto has announced the cancellation of the contractual arrangement between Kenya and a French company for the construction of the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit toll road.
Speaking in Nakuru County on Thursday, October 24, 2024, the Head of State confirmed that the French firm had been asked to vacate the project after the deal stalled.
Without delving deeper into the disagreement with the French company, Ruto indicated that his administration had commenced the process of finding another investor to take up the road project.
“Najua bado mnangojea kwamba kutoka hapa kuenda Nairobi ni shida kubwa sana kwa sababu barabara imejaa msongamano wa magari. Mimi nataka niwahakikishie ile kampuni ya Ufaransa ambayo ilikuwa imepatiwa kandarasi ama ilikuwa imetoa PIP yake kutengeneza hio barabara yamekwama, sasa tumewaambia waondoke ili tuweze kutafuta kampuni ingine kwa sababu barabara kati ya Nakuru-Mau Summit-Nairobi lazima tuifanye iwe dual carriageway.
“I know people are anxiously waiting since moving from Nakuru to Nairobi has become more hectic due to traffic congestion. I want to assure you that we have asked the French company that had presented its PIP for the construction of this road to leave so that we can find another firm that can build the road from Nakuru-Mau Summit to Nairobi to be a dual carriageway,” Ruto told Nakuru residents.
“Mimi nitashirikiana na viongozi wenu tuweze kutatua jambo ilo tuweze kutafuta kampuni mpya ambayo itatusaidia kupeleka kazi yetu mbele (I will work closely with your leaders so that we can solve this problem and find another company that will help us deliver on this project),” he added.
The project was among the projects left pending by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, which would have seen French firms finance and build the 232km highways from just outside Nairobi in Rironi, Kiambu County, to Mau Summit through Nakuru.
During a state visit to France in October 2020, Uhuru witnessed the signing of commercial agreements for the 232 km project between the Ministry of Transport, through the KeNHA, and the French VINCI Consortium [Vinci Highways SAS, Meridian Infrastructure Africa Fund, and Vinci Concessions SAS].
However, the project failed to kick off, prompting Ruto to part ways with the French consortium.
Hints at China’s bid
On September 3, 2024, President William Ruto held a meeting with Chinese officials during his official visit to that Asian country.
During the meeting, Ruto said his government would work closely with China on infrastructure development, climate change, ICT, education, and security, and that Kenya was particularly focused on the development of roads under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
Among the projects Ruto indicated the Chinese would be involved in include the upgrading of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the dualing of the Rironi-Naivasha-Nakuru-Mau Summit, and the ports of Mombasa and Lamu.
However, Ruto has not authoritatively announced handing over the project to China.
Kenya and China have excellent and cordial diplomatic relations. These ties have been mutually beneficial to our two countries, phenomenally transforming Kenya's railway, road and port infrastructure, and deepening people to people exchanges.
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) September 3, 2024
Through our bilateral cooperation… pic.twitter.com/j0qjlnUJpy
