Ruto defends PPP, sets date for Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit Highway groundbreaking
By Kenneth Mwenda, October 27, 2025President William Ruto has defended the government’s decision to expand the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit highway through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), saying the model will allow Kenya to build more major roads without adding to its debt burden.
Speaking in Nakuru County on Monday, October 27, 2025, Ruto said the government must be innovative in how it finances infrastructure projects. He noted that traditional funding through the national budget is no longer sustainable given the country’s limited fiscal space.
“Hii barabara yenu ya kutoka Nairobi, kuja Nakuru, mpaka Mau Summit, nataka iende Kericho, iende Kisumu, na iende Eldoret, iende Malaba,” Ruto said. “Hiyo barabara ya dualing tunanzisha mwezi ujao. Na tunanzisha mwezi ujao kwa sababu tumeweka mpango maalum ambayo inaleta private sector katika ujenzi wa barabara.”
He said the project, expected to break ground next month, will mark the start of a new phase in Kenya’s road construction strategy.
“Kama tungesema tuweke pesa ya bajeti ya serikali katika hiyo barabara hatungejenga,” he explained. “We have to think outside the box. We have to bring investments from the private sector and go to capital markets to raise resources.”
The Head of State also defended the affordable housing project.
Six-lane expansion plan
Ruto said the government plans to build a modern six-lane highway stretching from Naivasha to Nakuru to ease congestion along the busy Northern Corridor.
“Na hiyo barabara itachukua leni nne kutoka kule Nairobi kupitia hiyo barabara ya juu na leni nne kupitia barabara ya Mai Mahiu. Itakutana pale Naivasha, alafu sasa itakua leni sita kutoka Naivasha paka Nakuru,” he said. “Kwa sababu tumeona leni mbili, tukiweka hata dual carriage itajaa ndani ya mwaka tano.”
The president added that the road will improve transport between Nairobi, Eldoret, Kisumu, and Malaba, cutting travel times and boosting trade across the region.
He acknowledged public concern over the use of private financing, but insisted the approach is necessary to meet the country’s infrastructure needs without burdening taxpayers.
“Itachukua sisi, Yesu atarudi kabla hatujamaliza hizi barabara,” Ruto said. “So lazima tuwe na mpango tofauti. We must be innovative about how we are going to build more roads in Kenya.”
Motorists’ opposition
Ruto’s remarks came after the Motorist Association of Kenya (MAK) protested the PPP deal, terming it a plan to exploit motorists through toll charges.
In a statement, the association said the toll-based model would expose taxpayers to hidden liabilities and transfer government obligations into private contracts.
“In reality, the ‘Build-Operate-Transfer’ (BOT) concession locks the Government into indirect liabilities, denominated in foreign currency, through guaranteed minimum traffic volumes, step-in rights, and revenue assurances hidden in side agreements,” the association said.
MAK also argued that the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) and fuel taxes already collect over Ksh100 billion annually-enough to maintain and upgrade roads without tolling. It claimed imposing tolls amounts to double taxation and violates the Constitution’s principles of equity and transparency.
The group further questioned the choice of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) as the preferred bidder, arguing it is a state-owned Chinese firm and therefore not a genuine private investor.
“This is not investment; it is economic colonisation dressed as development,” the statement read.
Government clarification
The government earlier moved to address the concerns, saying the highway will remain a public asset under full state ownership.
According to the Directorate of Public Private Partnerships, the model allows private players to finance, build, and maintain infrastructure for a defined period before handing it back to the government.
“This highway is a strategic national asset and remains under full ownership and jurisdiction of the Government of Kenya,” said Kefa Seda, the director of PPPs.
He clarified that tolling will be regulated under the draft National Tolling Policy 2025 and that all funds collected will be reinvested in maintenance, safety patrols, lighting, and emergency services along the same corridor.
The Treasury said exemptions will apply to emergency and security vehicles, while local residents living near the corridor may receive lower rates.
It added that the new PPP approach ensures transparency and sustainability, preventing excessive profits by private operators through a revenue-sharing clause. If toll collections exceed projections, the surplus will go back to the state for other road projects.
Officials estimate Kenya will need at least Ksh4 trillion over the next decade to meet its road infrastructure targets – a figure impossible to achieve through public borrowing alone.