An aerial view shows construction progress at the Gitaru Interchange near Kikuyu linking the Nairobi–Nakuru highway. [File,Standard]
Motorists plying the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway will soon experience faster and uninterrupted travel as the Gitaru Interchange, once grounded by a funding crisis, nears completion at 85 per cent, with handover set for June 30.
The interchange, located near Kikuyu, connects the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway with the Southern and Western Bypasses.
It had stalled after the Ruto administration inherited Sh175 billion in pending bills owed to 580 contractors, many of whom had gone unpaid for nearly a decade.
A government decision to securitise fuel levy collections through the Kenya Roads Board broke the deadlock, releasing funds that restarted construction across the country.
"The Gitaru Interchange had stalled due to funding constraints, but securitisation enabled us to resume this critical project, which was initiated in 2024," said Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Director General Luka Kimeli.
The interchange, designed as a four-loop cloverleaf, will allow continuous traffic flow at one of Nairobi's most congested junctions and has so far employed more than 1,100 people.
"The interchange will allow continuous traffic flow, reduce travel time and ease congestion," Kimeli added.
The Cabinet approved the securitisation model in April 2025, providing a financial lifeline to projects paralysed by accumulated debt.
The interchange is the most complex component of the 17.8-kilometre Western Bypass, linking the Southern Bypass, which carries heavy transit traffic from the Port of Mombasa, to the Western Bypass, which terminates at Ruaka.
For residents, the change is already visible. Apostle Paul Mosoti, a trader and long-time Gitaru resident, noted the project was reshaping an area local once described as remote.
"This road project has helped a lot," said Mosoti, pointing to growing business activity and easier travel for traders and commuters.
Once complete, the interchange is expected to reduce fuel consumption, improve logistics for long-haul freight and strengthen transport links between Nairobi, Central Kenya and the Rift Valley.
