China firm, NSSF to build Sh180 billion Mau Summit toll road

Treasury has picked the China Road and Bridge Corporation and NSSF Consortium to construct the Sh180 billion Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit and Maai Mahiu Road project in a public-private partnership.

It will be a toll road under a 30-year concession, with a 30-year tax exemption on toll revenues.

The announcement followed a decision by the PPP Committee on October 9. The committee said the project met thresholds of public interest, feasibility and affordability, allowing it to proceed under the PPP Act, 2021. 

Since December 1984, China’s CRBC has been contracted to build two ports, two railways, including the SGR, and 23 road projects covering more than 1,200 miles (1,930km). 

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) received two Privately Initiated Proposals (PIPs)—one from China’s Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge International Engineering Co Ltd (SDRBI), and the other from a consortium of the Chinese state firm, CRBC and NSSF.

Both proposals covered the design, construction, financing, operation, maintenance and eventual transfer of the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit (A8) and the Nairobi–Maai Mahiu (A8 South) roads.

The project covers 233 kilometres (about 145 miles) spanning Kiambu, Nyandarua, and Nakuru counties.

It includes 175 kilometres (108 miles) of the A8 corridor and 58 kilometres (36 miles) of the A8 South from Rironi Interchange to Mau Summit, and through Maai Mahiu to Naivasha.

Following conditional approvals, both proponents conducted feasibility studies and submitted reports to KeNHA on September 15.

The authority evaluated the proposals in line with the PPP Act and submitted its findings to the PPP Directorate, which forwarded recommendations to the PPP Committee.

The committee endorsed KeNHA’s recommendation to select CRBC and the NSSF Consortium as the Preferred Project Proponent, subject to fulfilling technical, financial, environmental, social and legal requirements in the evaluation report. The disclosure aligns with Treasury’s April 2025 circular mandating public transparency for privately initiated PPP proposals. 

Under the plan, the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit highway will undergo major reconstruction and expansion to ease congestion on the narrow mountain road and enhance trade along the western economic corridor.

The Nairobi-Naivasha section (58.9km) will be upgraded to a dual four-lane carriageway, while the Naivasha-Nakuru West stretch will be expanded into a dual six-lane highway to handle heavy traffic. The Nakuru-Mau Summit section will feature a dual four-lane carriageway, with a full viaduct constructed through Nakuru town to maintain smooth traffic flow.

Six toll stations will be established to fund maintenance and operations under the PPP model. The consortium will bear both traffic and revenue risks under the project’s 30-year concession.

Meanwhile, the Nairobi-Maai Mahiu-Naivasha road (56.8km) will complement the main corridor by improving access to Rift Valley and beyond. The Nairobi-Maai Mahiu stretch will be upgraded to a dual four-lane road with climbing lanes, while the Maai Mahiu-Naivasha section will be rehabilitated and resurfaced for durability. 

The project will be an infrastructure milestone, improving transport efficiency, reducing travel time and supporting economic growth across Kenya’s central and western regions.