Nairobi — President William Ruto has described the launch of the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit and Nairobi-Maai Mahiu-Naivasha highways as the dawn of a new era for Kenya.
President Ruto stated that the positioning of the massive Sh170 billion project was both an economic turning point and a governance declaration that the country will no longer accept slow growth or outdated financing choices.
Speaking at the event, the President said the project marked the end of decades of infrastructural paralysis caused by Kenya’s limited options relying on a constrained national budget, borrowing heavily to fund major projects, or embracing stagnation.
“This is how we correct a historic shortfall. Since independence, Kenya has tarmacked only 22,000 kilometres of road. Over a similar historical period, a nation such as Japan has built more than one million kilometres, a contrast that underscores the scale of our long-standing infrastructure gap,” President Ruto noted.
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The President framed the new highway as the flagship example of an era defined by innovation rather than fear of ambition.
The 233-kilometre corridor designed, financed, upgraded and maintained through a world-class Public-Private Partnership will be implemented by a consortium bringing together government and private capital in what the President called a bold shift in how Kenya builds infrastructure.
“It is an investment of over 170 billion shillings. A living demonstration of what happens when government stops trying to do everything alone and starts doing things smarter and in partnership with the private sector,” President Ruto stated.
Ruto said Kenya had for too long normalised average performance in infrastructure delivery, allowing stagnation to creep into institutions and confidence.
He described the PPP-backed project as a break from a culture that once accepted delays and mediocrity as inevitable.
The corridor is one of East Africa’s most important arteries, linking Nairobi to Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ruto said its upgrade would cut travel time, reduce accidents, and unlock trade across the region, positioning Kenya as a central hub for transit, logistics and investment.
“For too long, this corridor carried more than it could bear. Traffic consumed our time, accidents stole our loved ones, and delays cost our economy billions. Today we say: no more. With modern engineering, innovation, and accountability, this road will cut travel times, reduce accidents, and save lives,” he said.
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The Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit dual carriageway will feature new interchanges, pedestrian bridges, truck lay-bys, better lighting, improved drainage and modern intelligent transport systems.
The Nairobi-Maai Mahiu-Naivasha section will be rebuilt to better handle steep gradients and heavy cargo volumes, improving flow to the Naivasha Inland Container Depot and the wider regional industrial ecosystem.
Ruto said the project signals a broader shift in the country’s development philosophy from dependence on state budgets and debt to innovative partnerships and long-term sustainability.
“These infrastructure efforts will boost competitiveness, lower business costs, and connect Kenya more efficiently to regional and global markets,” the President emphasized.
