Everything You Need To Know About Rironi-Mau Summit Expressway

October 27, 2025 / ke

Rironi-Mau Summit Expressway is a major highway that will connect Nairobi and Nakuru. The project was initiated after the the Treasury pulled the plug on the Sh468 billion Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway project.

The construction of the Rironi–Mau Summit Highway will be undertaken by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) at a cost of KSh 200 billion (approximately US$1.3 billion), about KSh 10 billion less than the amount quoted by the French contractor Vinci SA, which had initially been awarded the contract. The project will be implemented in partnership with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

The Rironi–Mau Summit Highway will stretch 175km, and will cost the Kenyan taxpayers Kes 1.14million per metre and construction is to begin January 2026 and is expected to finish by the end of 2028.

Termination of Contract With French contractors
The Rironi–Mau Summit Highway was initially set to be constructed by the French contractor Vinci SA. However, when the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) presented a more favorable offer, the National Treasury opted to withdraw from the French deal.

One of the main reasons behind the cancellation of Vinci’s contract was that the French consortium proposed higher toll rates, KSh 10 per kilometer with a 3% annual increase, while the Chinese consortium offered a lower rate of KSh 8 per kilometer with only a 1% annual increase. In addition, Vinci required the Government of Kenya (GoK) to guarantee compensation of approximately KSh 40 billion annually during low-traffic periods. The Chinese consortium did not include such conditions in its proposal, effectively saving the government about KSh 40 billion per year.

Why CRBC Got The contract
Among all competitors, that China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) deal offered a lower cost which would translate into reduced toll fees for motorists.

The speed at which the consortium was to complete the project made them edged out tough competitors like Shandong High-Speed Roads & Bridge International Engineering Co., Ltd. (SHRBI), which had also submitted a privately initiated proposal (PIPP). The CRBC-NSSF bid promised to complete the road before the end of William Ruto-led administration and before the next elections.

Alternative Route
The 174-kilometre road will stretch from the Kironi Interchange to the Mau Summit Turnoff, and motorists are expected to pay to use the entire section from Kironi Interchange to the Rironi Interchange near Nairobi, and this effectively leaves no free alternative route between Nairobi and Nakuru.

Rironi-Mau Summit Project Details