Two Chinese companies are emerging as front-runners in the race to build and operate the Rironi-Mau Summit highway, a 175-kilometre toll road set to break ground in August under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement – according to Roads And Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir.

The terms of the deal were deemed fiscally unsustainable by the National Treasury. The government had to fork out KSh 6.2 billion to the French consortium in April to settle claims arising from the cancellation of the contract, to avoid international arbitration in London. After settlement, the project was open for alternative bids.

The Rironi-Mau Summit highway project is part of the A8 corridor connecting Nairobi to western Kenya. It is a strategic priority within the Northern Corridor network, which links the Port of Mombasa to landlocked neighbors including Uganda and South Sudan.

Once completed, the dual carriageway will be operated under a tolling model aligned with Kenya’s National Tolling Policy. According to earlier reports, motorists using the expanded highway will be expected to pay tolls averaging KSh 6 per kilometre, translating to about KSh1,050 for a standard vehicle traveling the full 175-kilometre stretch.

Heavier commercial trucks could pay several times that amount, with rates scaling based on axle count and vehicle class under Kenya’s National Tolling Policy. The private concessionaire will recoup construction and maintenance costs directly from road users over the contract term.

Construction is expected to last 24 months, with a completion target of June 2027. In addition to the main highway, the project includes a new dualled bypass, dubbed the A8 South, around Rironi, Mai Mahiu, and Naivasha to ease congestion and separate long-distance freight from local traffic.