The government has introduced an accelerated construction plan for the Rironi-Naivasha highway, with contractors expected to lay one kilometre of road every day as authorities race to meet the revised opening deadline. Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said the government was determined to open the 60-kilometre section to motorists before the end of 2026.
Speaking during an interview with The Historian, which was shared by Chinese broadcaster CGTN, Chirchir explained that contractors would prioritise completing the road base before applying the final asphalt layer.
“We will be doing a kilometre every day because after we have done the base, the remaining will just be the top polishing layer,” he said.
The CS noted that the approach would allow construction teams to cover longer distances within a shorter period once the underlying road structure was ready. Chirchir also disclosed that the government had resolved previous bitumen supply challenges that had disrupted construction, allowing work to proceed without similar interruptions. He revealed that 10 asphalt-laying machines, known as pavers, had already arrived in Mombasa to support the accelerated programme.
“The pavers that are laying the asphalt, we have got 10 already in Mombasa,” he stated.
The CS expressed confidence that the additional equipment and improved availability of construction materials would enable the contractor to meet the revised completion schedule, although some road furniture might remain unfinished. The latest announcement comes after the government failed to meet the October 30 deadline previously announced by Chirchir in September.
On October 30, following an inspection of the project alongside the National Assembly’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee in Naivasha, the CS postponed the opening to early December 2026. During the inspection, he disclosed that more than 90 construction teams had been deployed along the highway, with work progressing at an average of four kilometres weekly.
The Rironi-Naivasha section is part of the KSh200 billion Rironi-Mau Summit highway project, which is being implemented through a public-private partnership. China Road and Bridge Corporation is handling this phase. The wider project seeks to expand the highway towards Mau Summit, with the government targeting completion of the entire corridor by June 2027. Motorists will pay toll charges once the highway becomes operational.
