Africa-Press – Kenya. After decades of festive-season traffic jams and hours-long delays, motorists using the busy Rironi–Mau Summit highway could soon get lasting relief, President William Ruto has said.
President William Ruto has assured motorists that traffic congestion on the busy Rironi–Mau Summit highway will drastically ease by December 2026. He said key sections of the project will be completed ahead of schedule.
Ruto made the remarks on Saturday while driving himself along the highway. He said the 2025 festive season will be the last time travellers experience the long holiday gridlock on the Nakuru highway. The road is one of the country’s busiest transport corridors, linking Nairobi to western Kenya.
“The only year people are going to run into trouble the way we’ve always known this road to be, with heavy traffic and a lot of jam, people spending countless hours on the road, people getting to their homes way after Christmas, is just going to be this year,” Ruto said from the driver’s seat.
He added that although the entire project will take longer to complete, critical sections will be operational before the next festive season. “By December next year, this road will be all clear. It will not be completely done, but the sections that are critical will already be done,” the President said.
Ruto acknowledged longstanding frustrations with the route, a vital artery linking Nairobi to the Rift Valley and western Kenya. The government officially launched the dualling exercise on November 28, 2025, marking the start of works to expand the highway into a modern dual carriageway.
The project is estimated to cost between Sh170 billion and Sh200 billion and is being delivered through a Public-Private Partnership involving China Road and Bridge Corporation and the National Social Security Fund.
Under the plan, the road will be expanded into a four-lane carriageway from Rironi to Naivasha and a six-lane dual carriageway between Naivasha and Nakuru. Additional features will include interchanges, pedestrian bridges, safety barriers and lighting to improve safety and traffic flow.
Ruto said the project is part of a broader strategy to modernise Kenya’s transport infrastructure and strengthen the Northern Corridor, a key regional trade route.
“Together, these upgrades will modernise the corridor, unlocking faster, safer and more efficient movement of people and goods,” he said during the launch.
Meanwhile, the Kenya National Highways Authority has warned motorists to expect traffic disruptions during the festive season as construction intensifies, advising the use of alternative routes during peak travel periods.
For decades, the Rironi–Mau Summit stretch has been notorious for severe congestion, particularly during holidays, often leading to long delays and higher accident risks.
Drivers and transport associations have welcomed the assurances, saying the upgraded highway will significantly reduce travel times and improve safety along one of Kenya’s busiest corridors.
