Dual carriage construction plans at Mau Summit underway - Ruto

President William Ruto when he broke ground for the 35MW Orpower 22 Geothermal Plant in Menengai, Nakuru County. [Ruto, X]

The government now says plans are ongoing for the construction of a dual carriageway at Mau Summit in Nakuru.

The infrastructure project aims to address the persistent traffic congestion along the route.

President William Ruto on Thursday, October 24 said that the French firms originally tasked with the project failed to deliver, leading to a decision to replace them.

"It remains challenging to travel between Nairobi and Nakuru. The French company awarded the contract to construct the road under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) has been unable to complete it. We have asked them to vacate the site, and we are now handing the project to a new company.”

“Our goal is to build a dual carriageway between Nakuru, Mau Summit, and Nairobi," Ruto said during the commissioning of the Cardiothoracic Centre at AGC Tenwek Hospital in Bomet County.

The initial tender award, made during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s second term, was canceled earlier this year, and Kenya is expected to compensate the French firms for the termination of the contract. 

The tender has reportedly been handed to a Chinese company, following delays by the French consortium.

The Rironi-Mau Summit road project was a key agenda during Ruto’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last month.