Mau Summit Upgrade Set to Ease Congestion Along Northern Corridor

A major highway upgrade at Mau Summit is expected to transform one of Kenya’s busiest transport junctions, easing congestion and improving the movement of goods and people along the country’s key trade corridor.

For years, Mau Summit Junction, located along the Northern Corridor, has been known for heavy traffic, safety risks and unpredictable travel times as trucks, public transport vehicles and traders converge at the busy intersection. However, ongoing works under the Rironi–Naivasha–Nakuru–Mau Summit highway corridor project are expected to significantly improve traffic flow and safety in the area.

The project is being implemented by the Kenya National Highways Authority through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) covering 138.1 kilometres from Rironi through Naivasha to Gilgil, with further expansion continuing toward Nakuru and Mau Summit.

The infrastructure project is being delivered by a consortium led by China Road and Bridge Corporation in partnership with the National Social Security Fund, reflecting a financing model that combines long-term institutional investment with private sector participation.

Under the plan, the Gilgil–Nakuru–Mau Summit section—spanning about 94 kilometres—will be upgraded into a modern dual carriageway designed to improve road safety, increase traffic capacity and enhance regional trade. The highway will feature both four-lane and six-lane sections, improved junction designs and new toll stations to regulate traffic and support long-term maintenance of the road.

The project is structured under a 75 percent debt and 25 percent equity financing model and will operate under a 30-year concession, with cost recovery through a tolling system aimed at ensuring sustainable operations and maintenance of the highway.

Transport operators and traders using the corridor are expected to benefit significantly from reduced travel times and improved reliability.

“What has historically been a slow and congested stretch of highway is expected to become a faster, more predictable route linking Nairobi to Western Kenya and the East African region,” the project brief states.

Faster travel is expected to reduce fuel costs for transporters while making supply chains more efficient for businesses moving agricultural produce, manufactured goods and regional exports.

Beyond transport efficiency, the project is also expected to stimulate economic activity in towns and trading centres along the corridor.

At junction centres such as Mau Summit, improved highway infrastructure often leads to increased opportunities for roadside traders, fuel stations, restaurants and other service businesses that depend on passing traffic. Construction works are also creating jobs and supporting local livelihoods through logistics, equipment supply and other project-related services.

Ultimately, officials say the transformation of the corridor is about more than just road construction.

“It is about connectivity—how infrastructure shortens distances between communities, unlocks regional trade and improves everyday life for the people who depend on the road,” the project statement notes.

Once complete, the upgraded highway is expected to provide a safer, faster and more reliable transport link connecting Nairobi, the Rift Valley, Western Kenya and the wider East African region.

Read: NSSF to Invest Ksh30B in Rironi–Mau Summit Road

>>> Omollo: Rironi–Mau Summit Highway Rebuild to End Nairobi–Nakuru Traffic Woes