Motorists who wish to drive the entire Rironi-Nakuru-Mau summit superhighway will have to part with over Sh. 1,000. This has been revealed by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport James Macharia. CS Macharia says that users of the Mau Summit superhighway will pay Sh. 6 per kilometre. This will translate to Sh. 1,398 for the entire Rironi-Nakuru-Mau Summit superhighway.
”The road shortens the journey by one hour but those who will not want to pay to ply the road will have to use other alternative routes though they will have to travel for three more hours,” Macharia said. “It will improve connectivity between Central and Eastern Kenya and the Rift Valley and Western Kenya regions, and will reduce congestion on the Northern Corridor.”
The deal for the expansion of the road was signed in October 2020, when President Uhuru Kenyatta visited France between the Ministry of Transport, through the KeNHA and the French VINCI Consortium. Construction of the 233 kilometre project will be done by a French construction company and overseen by KeNHA.
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The 233-kilometre highway will cost Sh. 160 billion of private capital with construction expected to start in September 2021. The consortium will design, finance, construct, operate and maintain the highway. Through the revenue generated by the electronic till collection system, they will recover their finances over a period of 30 years.
“These have been brought about by higher traffic volumes, which have been driven by rapid economic growth not only in Kenya but also in neighbouring countries. Congestion on this road has been further exacerbated by the rapid expansion of many towns along its economic corridor,” Macharia said.
This will be the second road to be operated on a toll basis. Kenyans will also have to pay to use the 27.1-kilometre Nairobi expressway which is being done by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). The road will link the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Nairobi-Nakuru highway.