Construction Activity Expected to Intensify as KeNHA Releases Rironi-Gilgil Dualing Project Agreement

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has published details of the project agreement for the Rironi to Naivasha to Gilgil road and the Rironi to Mai Mahiu to Naivasha road, providing the first official public disclosure of the agreement governing the toll road project.

The disclosure covers the Rironi to Naivasha to Gilgil (A8) Road and the Rironi to Mai Mahiu to Naivasha (A8 South) Road, a combined distance of approximately 139 kilometres passing through Kiambu, Nyandarua and Nakuru counties.

According to the notice, the Public Private Partnership Committee approved the project and financial risk assessment report before approving execution of the project agreement between KeNHA and the consortium of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

The authority states that after the initialled agreement, KeNHA signed a preliminary works agreement and later executed the project agreement with the consortium to enable commencement of the works. The disclosure was issued in line with the Public Private Partnerships Act and National Treasury requirements on public disclosure.

The project will be delivered under a Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Maintain and Transfer arrangement with a concession period of 30 years. The agreement provides for the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the road before the assets are eventually handed back to KeNHA.

Although some activities have already been visible along portions of the corridor, these have largely involved early works such as site clearance, drainage structures, culverts and preparatory activities. The publication of the agreement is expected to clear the way for wider contractor mobilisation and the establishment of additional work fronts.

Industry observers have recently indicated that larger construction gangs and additional equipment could begin appearing along the route in the coming months as contractors transition from preparatory activities to full construction operations.

The agreement describes the road as a toll facility. The published document states that the applicable toll tariff will be KES 8 per kilometre, with future adjustments subject to the terms of the agreement and applicable approvals.

KeNHA says the government's financial commitments are limited to those expressly provided within the agreement. The notice further indicates that the project is primarily financed by the private partner, with government support measures to be provided where necessary under the contract.

The works include associated interchanges, bridges, drainage systems, road safety infrastructure and other facilities required for highway operations. The agreement also requires periodic reporting and monitoring throughout the concession period.

The CRBC and NSSF section forms part of the wider Nairobi to Nakuru to Mau Summit highway improvement programme. Another portion of the corridor, extending from Gilgil to Mau Summit, is being undertaken by Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge International under a separate proposal process. Public disclosures issued by KeNHA previously identified the company as the preferred proponent for that section.

Together, the two projects cover much of the Nairobi to Nakuru corridor, one of Kenya's busiest freight and passenger routes and a key segment of the Northern Corridor linking Nairobi with western Kenya and neighbouring countries.

The latest disclosure does not provide a construction completion date for the 139-kilometre section. However, the publication of the agreement gives contractors and road users a clearer picture of how the project will be delivered and signals the transition from preliminary activities to broader construction operations.