Construction of Nairobi-Thika Expressway to Begin in September 2026

The Kenyan government has officially scheduled the commencement of the Nairobi-Thika Expressway for September 2026. Speaking during a church service in Ruiru, Kiambu County, President William Ruto confirmed that the 60-kilometre infrastructure project is designed to provide a high-capacity alternative for motorists currently facing severe delays on the existing Thika Superhighway.

The planned route is expected to start at the Museum Hill interchange, where it will link with the existing Nairobi Expressway, and terminate in Thika town. This new development follows the model of the JKIA-Westlands expressway, which was built to bypass inner-city congestion. The President noted that the project will specifically target the bottleneck between Githurai and the central business district, a section that has remained a major point of frustration for commuters.

Beyond the expressway itself, the administration has allocated Sh15 billion for ancillary road works within the current financial year. These include the dualling of the Northern Bypass from Kamakis to Kiambu town and the expansion of Kiambu Road from Pangani to Ndenderu. These interventions are part of a broader metropolitan transport strategy intended to create a seamless link between the capital and its surrounding satellite towns.

The announcement comes at a time when the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has already begun clearing structures on road reserves at Githurai 45 and Roysambu. These clearances are intended to pave the way for modern bus parks and improved interchanges, which will complement the upcoming expressway. The state maintains that these removals are necessary to enhance safety and traffic flow along one of the country's most critical transport arteries.

While the executive has expressed confidence in the project's timeline, the plan has met with some feedback from industry stakeholders. The Motorists Association of Kenya has previously questioned the immediate priority of the project, suggesting that the current superhighway already possesses features of a modern expressway. However, the government insists that the volume of traffic has outgrown the current capacity of the 12-lane superhighway, necessitating a dedicated, controlled-access route.

In addition to transport infrastructure, the President highlighted ongoing development in Kiambu County, including the construction of 17,000 affordable housing units at a cost of Sh43 billion. The integration of the new expressway with these housing hubs is seen as a move to stabilize the local economy by reducing the cost and time of movement. Construction is expected to begin immediately after the completion of the ongoing expansion works on the JKIA-Westlands corridor, ensuring that heavy machinery and technical resources are transitioned directly to the Thika Road site.