The government has announced plans to begin the long-awaited dualling of the Rironi–Nakuru and Nakuru–Eldoret highways before the end of August 2025.

Speaking when he appeared before the Senate on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir confirmed that the project will be implemented through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, which allows private investors to finance, build, and maintain key infrastructure projects.

“We plan to undertake the dualling of the Rironi–Nakuru and Nakuru–Eldoret highways under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) process,” Chirchir said.

“We have gotten a number of concession proponents, and they are currently going through the development phase. We expect to break ground before the end of August, all going well,” he added.

The Rironi–Eldoret corridor is one of Kenya’s most crucial transport routes, connecting Nairobi to the western region and the neighbouring countries of Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan.

The dualling of this highway is expected to alleviate congestion, reduce travel time, enhance road safety, and stimulate regional trade and economic activity.

This announcement comes months after President Ruto announced the commencement of the construction when he hosted a delegation of leaders from Nakuru County at State House, Nairobi, on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.

Ruto’s remarks

Ruto noted that the design work and other technicalities for the project are almost complete before he breaks ground on it in two months.

“We have agreed with the contractors to speed up the project and complete it by 2027. If not, they should have done a substantial portion of it by that time,” he said.

Ruto explained that the Rironi-Mau Summit Road would consist of four lanes from Rironi to Naivasha town, as well as the Maai Mahiu-Naivasha road.

He highlighted that the road will then expand to six lanes from Naivasha town to Nakuru City in order to adequately handle the high volume of traffic on the route.

On the stalled Itare Dam project in Kuresoi North Constituency, Ruto said the government has reached an agreement with the Italian government to resume construction work by the end of the year.

“When complete, this dam will solve the persistent water shortages being faced by the people of Nakuru City,” he said.

On roads, President Ruto pointed out that the government has allocated Ksh2.5 billion to complete stalled projects in the county.

He also revealed that Ksh2.5 billion had been allocated to connect 21,000 households to power in the county under the Last Mile Electricity Connectivity Programme.