MOLO, Kenya — A long-promised upgrade to one of Kenya’s most dangerous and congested roads is finally set to begin. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki on Wednesday confirmed that construction on the Rironi-Mau Summit highway will start on July 1, after the government concluded a long-delayed funding agreement.
The Sh90 billion project will expand the 170-kilometre stretch between Rironi and Mau Summit into a dual carriageway, with four lanes throughout and six in busier sections. Completion is expected by July 2027.
Speaking at a burial service in Molo for victims of a road crash that killed 12 people last week, Kindiki said the road overhaul could not come soon enough.
“We have lost too many lives on this highway,” he told mourners. “Now, with construction set to begin, we are finally on the path to safer roads and faster journeys.”
The new road, funded through a public-private partnership, is being touted by the government as a centrepiece of President William Ruto’s national development agenda. It connects Nairobi to western Kenya a corridor that carries thousands of commuters and commercial vehicles each day.
“This is not just a road,” Kindiki said. “It’s a lifeline for trade, for jobs, and for the safety of our people.”
Local leaders in Nakuru and beyond have for years called for the highway to be widened, blaming narrow lanes and poor maintenance for hundreds of deadly accidents. According to police data, crashes along this corridor rank among the highest in the country.
Kindiki promised that the project would prioritise local labour.
“Residents of Nakuru County and nearby areas will be the first to benefit from job opportunities created during construction,” he said.
Beyond the Rironi-Mau Summit upgrade, Kindiki directed engineers to urgently address the Elburgon-Njoro road, where last week’s accident occurred. He called for a redesign of its blackspots, citing them as “ticking time bombs.”
“This cannot wait,” he said. “The families mourning today should not be joined by more tomorrow.”
Transport analysts say the new road could dramatically reduce traffic delays and cut the number of accidents, but warn that proper oversight will be essential to prevent cost overruns or shoddy work.
In a sign of broader ambitions, Kindiki also announced plans to extend the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to the Uganda border phases 2B and 2C of a stalled project that has seen slow progress since 2019.
“This is about making Kenya a gateway for the region,” he said. “We want to be the link between East Africa and the world.”
In closing, Kindiki steered away from infrastructure and turned to politics. He urged calm and unity ahead of what he called a “season of heightened voices.”
“We can disagree without shouting, campaign without inciting, and lead without dividing,” he said. “That is the kind of Kenya we must build.”
For many residents along the Rironi-Mau Summit route, the test now is whether the bulldozers will actually show up in the coming future and whether the promises finally hold.
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