Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir Announces Alternative Routes for Rironi-Mau Summit Toll Road

On Tuesday November 10, 2026 Roads Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said the government has identified a set of alternative roads for motorists who prefer not to pay tolls on the Rironi-Mau Summit Highway.

He named the Mau Mau A1 road that runs from Kijabe through the escarpment to Mai Mahiu, the Gilgil-Kanyeriri route that emerges near Nakuru, and the newly finished Ngong-Suswa road as the main options.

Chirchir also noted that residents living between toll plazas will be able to join the expressway and exit before reaching the next toll point, thereby avoiding any charge.

The expressway, forming part of the A8 corridor, will operate three toll stations under a build-operate-transfer agreement with China Road and Bridge Corporation, with rates of KSh8 per kilometre on the Rironi-Gilgil stretch and KSh8.50 per kilometre between Gilgil and Mau Summit, resulting in an estimated total of KSh1,447 for the full 175-kilometre length.

The Rironi-Gilgil segment alone cost about KSh87 billion, while the entire project is valued at KSh200 billion and will be repaid through toll revenue over a 30-year concession period.

Ten pavers have been deployed at the Rironi and Naivasha ends and are expected to lay roughly one kilometre of asphalt each day, with the Rironi-Naivasha section targeted for opening before Christmas.

The government also plans to transform the Rift Valley escarpment viewpoints disturbed by excavation into a tourism destination that will include cable cars, curio shops and potential hotel investments.

Safety designs such as meanders will be added to reduce brake-failure risks on steep descents, and service-level agreements require the concessionaire to add lanes or expand sections when traffic thresholds are exceeded.

Chirchir defended the toll model by arguing that faster travel times and lower fuel consumption on a well-maintained road offset the toll charges.