Transport CS Davis Chirchir has outlined plans to accelerate construction of the Rironi-Naivasha section.
Transport CS Davis Chirchir says improved bitumen supplies and additional paving equipment will help contractors accelerate the 60-kilometre road section.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has announced a one-kilometre daily construction target for the Rironi-Naivasha highway. The government aims to open the section to motorists before the end of 2026.
Under the new approach, contractors will prioritise completing the road base before applying the final asphalt layer. Chirchir said this sequence would help accelerate work along the 60-kilometre stretch.
Rironi-Naivasha highway paving plan
Chirchir said the government had resolved bitumen supply constraints that previously slowed construction. As a result, the contractor could proceed without the earlier supply interruptions.
He also said 10 asphalt pavers had arrived in Mombasa to support the accelerated programme. The additional equipment and improved supplies, he said, gave the government confidence in meeting its revised timeline.
However, Chirchir acknowledged that some road furniture could remain unfinished when the section opens to traffic. He maintained that the first phase remained on schedule and expected the contractor to finish before the revised opening target.
The daily target marks an increase from the pace Chirchir described during an earlier inspection. At that stage, construction teams were progressing at approximately four kilometres per week.
Revised opening date and wider project
The acceleration plan follows a missed October 30 opening deadline, which Chirchir had announced in September. At the time, he promised motorists access to the completed dual carriageway without construction-related traffic disruptions.
On October 30, however, Chirchir moved the opening target to early December 2026. He announced the change after inspecting the works in Naivasha alongside the National Assembly’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee.
During that inspection, the CS said more than 90 teams were working along the route. China Road and Bridge Corporation is undertaking the Rironi-Naivasha phase.
Meanwhile, the section forms part of the Ksh200 billion Rironi-Mau Summit highway project, which uses a public-private partnership model. The wider scheme involves expanding the highway towards Mau Summit.
The government targets completion of the entire corridor by June 2027. Motorists are also expected to pay toll charges once the road becomes operational.
