President William Ruto launching the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit (A8) dual carriageway and the Nairobi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha PPP project on November 28, 2025. Photo by PPS. 
By Andrew Mbuva
President William Ruto today launched one of Kenya’s most ambitious infrastructure projects yet — the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit (A8) dual carriageway and the Nairobi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha PPP project — marking what he described as the dawn of a bold new chapter in the nation’s development.
Speaking in Kiambu County, President Ruto said the two projects, developed under a Public–Private Partnership model worth more than Sh170 billion, signal Kenya’s determination to break free from decades of stalled progress, limited financing options, and infrastructural stagnation.
The President said Kenya had long been trapped between three unattractive choices whenever major projects were proposed: relying on an overstretched national budget, taking on more debt, or slowing down development altogether. “If we waited for the national budget, we would have waited a lifetime,” he said. “If we borrowed, we would have burdened our children. And if we did nothing, we would have surrendered to stagnation.”
Ruto said the PPP model now being applied to the 233-kilometre corridor is a demonstration that Kenya can think and act differently without raising taxes or sinking deeper into debt. The modern dual carriageways will be designed, expanded, operated, and maintained by private partners alongside Kenyan agencies.
The Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit road will be reinforced to handle heavy commercial traffic, complete with new interchanges, truck laybys, pedestrian bridges, lighting, drainage and intelligent transport systems. The Nairobi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha section will be upgraded to ease steep gradients and support the growing industrial hub around Naivasha and the Inland Container Depot.
“These roads will cut travel time, reduce accidents, save lives and boost efficiency across East and Central Africa,” Ruto said, noting that the corridor connects Kenya to Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC — a vital artery for regional trade.
The project is also expected to create 15,000 jobs, offering thousands of young Kenyans skills development opportunities while placing local businesses at the centre of the construction value chain. Ruto also praised the contribution of Chinese partners providing technical and engineering support.
Reaffirming his long-term economic blueprint, the President linked the new highways to a broader national transformation agenda that includes modernising transport, expanding energy capacity by 10,000 megawatts, increasing water and irrigation infrastructure, enhancing STEM education, and upgrading ports and airports. He announced that the Standard Gauge Railway will be extended from Naivasha to Kisumu and on to Malaba beginning January 2026.
Ruto said the government is establishing both a National Infrastructure Fund and a Sovereign Wealth Fund to finance future mega-projects without overreliance on debt. The funds will draw from budget allocations, proceeds from privatisation, royalties from natural resources, and private sector investment.
The President said Kenya must now adopt a culture of excellence and innovation, rejecting the paralysis that in his view has hindered development for decades. “This is our moment to rise from the ordinary and leave mediocrity behind,” he said.
Ruto urged contractors, communities and government agencies to safeguard quality, transparency and accountability, insisting that the success of the project depends on collective effort. “This is not about the kilometres we pave,” he emphasised. “It is about the lives we change and the opportunities we unlock.”
The President thanked Kenya’s development partners and citizens, saying the roads being launched will reshape trade, expand prosperity and elevate millions across the region.
“Together, we are laying the foundation of a prosperous, connected and confident nation,” he said.
