Govt Issues Update On Expansion Of Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit Highway

The government has announced progress on the planned expansion of the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit (A8) and Nairobi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha (A8 South) highways under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

In a public notice released on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) said the project is designed to ease heavy traffic, shorten travel time and improve road safety along one of the country’s busiest corridors.

“In line with our commitment to transparency and inclusive development, we are conducting stakeholder engagement meetings to update stakeholders on the Government’s PPP plans for road capacity enhancement, build institutional and community support, and identify early concerns that may affect project implementation,” the statement reads.

KeNHA stated that stakeholder engagement meetings will be held between September 2 and September 8, 2025, to brief members of the public and relevant institutions on the PPP plans, gather feedback and address any concerns that could arise during implementation.

According to the schedule, meetings will begin on September 2 in Kiambu County at Limuru and Uplands. On September 3, consultations will be held at Flyover interchange in Nyandarua County. In Nakuru County, sessions are planned at several venues: Naivasha’s Kayole Social Hall on September 4 from 2pm to 4pm, Kamara Chief’s Office (Mau Summit) from 9am to noon, and Salgaa Chief’s Office from 2pm to 4pm. A larger session at the Kenya Industrial Training Institute in Nakuru town will take place on September 5. The final public meeting is scheduled for September 8 at the County Council Hall in Mai Mahiu.

The Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit road forms part of the Northern Corridor, a strategic route connecting Nairobi to Western Kenya and serving landlocked countries such as Uganda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Due to its economic importance, the government has opted to expand the highway through a PPP model similar to the Nairobi Expressway, allowing private investors to finance, build and maintain the project. In return, tolling is expected to be used to recover costs.

An earlier agreement worth KSh190 billion had been signed with a French consortium earlier this year. However, it included an availability-based payment clause that would have required the government to cover any revenue shortfalls over more than ten years. The National Treasury later termed the deal financially unsustainable and cancelled it.

Currently, two Chinese companies are leading the race to secure the revised contract.