A fresh twist has rocked the Rironi-Mau Summit toll highway deal. This follows a decision by Kenya to make last-minute changes to the preferred contractors for the highway.
In the new changes, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has brought back the Chinese company that came second in the proposals. KeNHA has then split the road into sections that will be allocated to the first contractor and the second contractor.
The first contractor who was initially selected by KeNHA is China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) which is leading a consortium with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The contractor who came in second who has now been brought into the project is the Shandong Hi-Speed Road & Bridge International Engineering Co. Ltd.
According to a report that appeared in a local business newspaper, the Business Daily, on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, these changes by the government have been made to prevent the project from being scrutinized by the Chinese government.
Apparently, projects worth over $1 billion (Sh129.6 billion at an exchange rate of Sh129.6 to the US Dollar) that are taken by state-owned Chinese companies must be reviewed by the Chinese government before they are implemented.
With the Rironi-Mau Summit toll highway construction cost estimated at Sh170 billion, the China Road and Bridge Corporation would have been required to submit its proposal to the Chinese government for review and approval before hitting the ground. Kenya does not way this.
To circumvent this requirement, the report in the Business Daily says that Shandong Hi-Speed Road & Bridge International Engineering Co. Ltd has now been given a section of the highway to build.
The CRBC has been given the section of road from Nairobi to Gilgil via Naivasha with a total of 81 kilometres, and the section from Nairobi to Naivasha through Maai Mahiu with a total of 58 kilometres.
Shandong on the other hand has been given the section from Gilgil to Mau Summit which comprises of 94 kilometres.
“With neither of the proponent able to deliver the full corridor within the terms of the PPP Act, the contracting authority [KeNHA], guided by the National Treasury and Economic Planning, initiated the evaluation of the feasibility study reports of the alternative split-score proposals earlier submitted by the proponents,” said KeNHA in its new disclosures.
The report further noted from the Director-General of the Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Kefa Seda who said that the two companies will now have to harmonize their toll rates.
“Each [contractor] will individually manage and toll the section they have constructed, but the fees will be the same across the road network. There will be a framework that will go through Parliament to harmonize that tolling rate,” said Kefa.
Initially, proposals for the Rironi-Mau Summit toll highway were submitted by Shandong, CRBC and NSSF, and Multiplex Partners Company Limited which is a Burundi-registered infrastructure project development financing firm.
However, Multiplex failed to pay the mandatory non-refundable proposal review fee when submitting its proposal and the proposal was dismissed on August 1 by KeNHA due non-compliance.
New York Times: How Ruto’s family, allies make profits from sending Kenyans to Saudi
Did you love the story? You can also share YOUR story and get it published on Bizna Click here to get started.