Motorists using the busy Rironi-Naivasha route could start using the upgraded highway by October 30, 2026, under a new completion timeline announced by the government.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said the Rironi-Naivasha section of the Rironi-Mau Summit highway is expected to be ready for public use by the end of October.
The latest deadline comes as construction works on the major highway linking Nairobi to the Rift Valley and western Kenya continue.
The project is expected to ease traffic along one of the country’s busiest transport corridors, which serves motorists travelling between Nairobi, Naivasha, Nakuru and destinations beyond.
The government has been pursuing the expansion of the route to improve road safety, reduce travel time and lower vehicle operating costs.
The Rironi-Mau Summit project covers a major section of the Northern Corridor, which is also used to transport goods from the Port of Mombasa through Nairobi towards Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Rironi-Naivasha section has previously been given different completion timelines, with an earlier target pointing to August 2026.
The latest commitment therefore sets October 30 as the date motorists could begin using the upgraded section.
The development will be closely watched by motorists and businesses that depend on the route, particularly because the Rironi-Naivasha stretch has long experienced congestion and delays.
The wider Rironi-Mau Summit project is expected to continue beyond the opening of the Rironi-Naivasha section. Recent reporting indicated that the Rironi-Nakuru section is expected to be completed by June 2027, while the Naivasha-Nakuru highway is planned as a six-lane section.
Once the full project is completed, authorities expect the upgraded corridor to significantly improve movement of people and goods between Nairobi and the western parts of the country.