By Raymond Omollo
This year, Kenya has been on a journey of building, improving, and refusing to settle for the frustrations we have lived with for years. And nothing captures that journey better than the transformation happening on the Rironi–Mau Summit Highway.
For a long time, the Nairobi–Nakuru stretch has been one of the toughest roads to use: endless traffic from Rironi, slow movement up the escarpment, bottlenecks in Nakuru, and long delays for anyone trying to reach Western Kenya. But now, that story is changing - because Kenya is finally rebuilding one of its most important highways from the ground up.
Now, for the first time in decades, that road is being rebuilt for us, the real people who use it every single day. Construction has begun on the 233-kilometre Rironi–Mau Summit Highway, and the work is moving fast. The machines are already rolling in, contractors are assembling teams and groups of workers will soon be spread out along the entire stretch, working simultaneously. And even though the full build will take two years, the change will start to show much sooner. This is not distant development - it is happening now.
For families heading home upcountry, this upgrade means less time on the road and more time together. For parents travelling with restless kids in the back seat, it means smoother, safer, calmer journeys. For travellers who have spent years budgeting for “traffic time” before they budget for fuel, this road is a long-overdue relief. By Christmas 2027, the slow-moving jam at Rironi will be a memory, not a routine.
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The new highway is being designed for how we actually live and operate. From Rironi to Naivasha, it will be a four-lane dual road - wide enough for comfort and speed. From Naivasha to Nakuru, where the trucks and buses pack the road from morning to night, it expands to six lanes to keep everyone moving. And Nakuru town - a place where traffic can swallow a whole afternoon - will get an elevated road that lifts congestion away from the city streets and gives people back their time.
Beyond Nakuru, the road becomes a spacious four-lane highway all the way to Mau Summit, opening up travel to Western Kenya like never before. It means shorter trips for traders, faster access to hospitals, more reliable supply chains for farmers, and smoother trips for students travelling to and from school. It means that the journey to Western Kenya will feel less like an obstacle and more like a connection -quick, safe, predictable.
The project is large and thus will have two major contractors - China Town and Bridge Corporation and Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge International - handling different phases. At the heart of their task will be the image of the driver who leaves Nairobi at dawn and hopes to arrive in Eldoret before dark, the market women carrying fresh produce that needs to reach buyers on time and the long-distance trucker whose life is lived on this corridor and deserves a safer, smoother route to earn a living.
When the road is complete, it will be tolled - KSh 8 per kilometre, about KSh 1,400 for the full journey. But Kenyans will also have improved alternative routes, because choice matters. Safety matters. Fairness matters.
Most importantly, this road is not just about today’s convenience. It strengthens everything around us: the flow of goods from Mombasa to Western Kenya, the trade routes into Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC, and the lifeline of agriculture that feeds cities and economies. A better road doesn’t just move cars - it moves possibilities.
And to make the experience even better, the government is also widening the Westlands -Rironi road to six lanes. Anyone who has ever been stuck there knows how badly this was needed. With the work now 82% complete, we are close to unlocking smoother movement right from the heart of Nairobi.
Ultimately, this road is far more than construction - it is an investment in dignity, in quality of life, and in giving people back the time they lose every day. It is built for the travellers, workers, families, farmers, truckers, students, and dreamers who depend on this corridor and deserve a better experience. By the end of 2027, the Nairobi–Nakuru journey will no longer feel like a test of patience, but a sign of real progress - a Kenya moving forward for its people.
Raymond Omollo is Principal Secretary, State Department for Internal Security and National Administration.
