NAIVASHA, Kenya — President William Ruto on Friday launched the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit (A8) and Nairobi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha dual-carriageway projects, describing them as a ‘turning point’ in Kenya’s shift toward large-scale infrastructure financed through Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs).
Speaking in Kiambu County, the President framed the Sh170-billion initiative as a strategic break from what he termed decades of ‘stagnation born out of helplessness,’ saying Kenya could no longer rely solely on the national budget or expensive external borrowing to build major highways.
“For decades, we were trapped between options that held back progress,” he said. “One highway can swallow half of our development budget. Borrowing adds to our debt burden. Doing nothing is surrendering to mediocrity.”
The A8 corridor — a 175-km route connecting Nairobi, Nakuru, and Mau Summit — is one of Kenya’s busiest transport arteries, linking the capital to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The additional 58-km Nairobi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha section will be upgraded to support steep gradients, heavy truck traffic, and its connection to the Naivasha Inland Container Depot.
According to the government, the project will include new interchanges, truck lay-bys, pedestrian bridges, lighting, safety barriers, drainage works, and intelligent transport systems to reduce accidents and improve traffic flow.
The President said at least 15,000 young Kenyans are expected to secure jobs and skills during the construction phase, adding that local businesses would take a leading role. He also praised the technology transfer from Chinese partners involved in the PPP arrangement.
Ruto used the launch to outline a broader national infrastructure plan, saying the administration was moving from “words to reality” in its pledge to develop modern transport corridors across the country.
Among the upcoming projects he cited were dual carriageways from Muthaiga–Kiambu–Ndumberi, Machakos Junction–Mariakani, Mau Summit–Kericho–Kisumu, and Kisumu–Busia, as well as expansions of Nairobi’s Northern Bypass and the Bomas–Karen–Ngong and Bomas–Ongata Rongai–Kiserian–Ngong corridors.
Since independence, Kenya has tarmacked about 22,000 kilometres of road — a figure Ruto compared to Japan’s over one million kilometres — calling it evidence of the country’s historic infrastructure gap.
The President tied the projects to his wider Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, highlighting planned expansion of water storage, irrigation, agro-industries, and a proposed increase of national energy capacity by 10,000 megawatts to support emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, manufacturing, and data centres.
He added that beginning January 2026, the government would extend the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to Kisumu and onward to Malaba. The State also plans to operationalise a National Infrastructure Fund and a Sovereign Wealth Fund to reduce reliance on debt and secure long-term national wealth.
Ruto urged contractors, local communities, and government agencies to maintain transparency and quality throughout implementation. “This is not about the kilometres we pave,” he said. “It is about the lives we change and the opportunities we unlock.”
The launch marks one of the largest PPP road undertakings in the region, positioning Kenya as a potential hub for logistics and regional trade once completed.
The President closed his remarks by thanking partners and affirming the government’s commitment to building a “prosperous, connected, and confident nation.”
