Nairobi — President William Ruto has underscored his commitment to giving Kenya world-class road infrastructure, including the Rironi-Nakuru-Mau Summit road to be launched soon.
The President said he would have launched the construction of the 230km road earlier, but was dissatisfied with the road design, which had not factored the growing volume of traffic along the key transport corridor.
“I was to launch the construction of this road last month. But when I learnt that it would only be a two-lane dual carriageway, which would be clogged again within nine years, I directed for it to be redesigned,” he said on Tuesday.
He made the remarks when he hosted a delegation of grassroots leaders from Nakuru County at State House, Nakuru.
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Consequently, the road was reviewed to provide for a dual four-lane carriageway from Rironi to Naivasha, while the Naivasha to Nakuru section was upgraded into a six-lane dual carriageway.
The Rironi-Mai Mahiu-Naivasha and the Nakuru-Mau Summit sections will be upgraded to four-lane dual roads
“These are the kinds of road you find in developed countries; we are now building them here at home,” he said.
He added: “God willing, we will celebrate Madaraka Day 2027 here in Nakuru County, and we will use the road.”
The project is being funded by a consortium of the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) under a public-private partnership funding model.
The President has stated that Kenya needs to build at least 1,000km of dual carriageway roads and another 10,000km if it is to join the league of developed nations.
Present at the function were Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, Cabinet Secretaries Lee Kinyanjui (Trade) and Alice Wahome (Lands and Housing), MPs and MCAs, among other leaders.
On other National Government projects in Nakuru County, the President said KSh2.6 billion has been allocated for improvement of the county roads in the 2025/26 financial year.
Nationally, he said, the government has paid KSh120 billion to contractors to complete stalled road projects, and will pay a further KSh60 billion by January 2026.
He announced that a civilian wing would be established at the Lanet Military Airstrip to serve the needs of residents who have expressed the need for an airport for long.
On electricity, President Ruto said the government will spend KSh2.6 billion to connect 22,000 households to power in the county within the next six months.
Additionally, he said 21,000 affordable housing units are being built at a cost KSh40 billion in Nakuru County alone.
Furthermore, 25 fresh produce modern markets are being built at a cost of KSh3.5 billion while 8,000-bed student hostels.
The President announced that Afraha Stadium, which has been under construction, would be completed at a cost of KSh500 million while the Olenguruone Stadium will be built at a cost of KSh400 milllion and renamed in honour of 1500-metre world record holder Faith Kipyegon.
At the Naivasha Special Economic Zone, the President announced that AfriExim Bank will fund “horizontal infrastructure” at a cost of KSh20 billion.
On universal healthcare, he commended the 961,000 residents of Nakuru County who have registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA), and urged more to enroll to access services.
He said SHA has paid over KSh1 billion in claims to government, private and faith-based hospitals in Nakuru in the past one year alone.
The President also directed Treasury to release KSh300 million for the completion of the stalled Nakuru Cancer Centre.
Explaining that the economy has stabilised in the past two years, President Ruto said that the economy is now firmly on track after the rescuing it from near collapse when he took office in 2022.
He cited key economic indicators such as low inflation (4.5 per cent), stable exchange rate (KSh129) and increased foreign exchange reserves that now stand at $12 billion as proof of growth.
He said the reforms the government has implemented in the agricultural sector have resulted in better prices for maize, tea, coffee, and sugarcane farmers.
“Farmers are producing more, they’re producing more, and improving the country’s food security,” he said.
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Similarly, the President said the reforms in the education sector have rescued public universities from insolvency, and addressed inadequacies within the Competence-Based Education and Training system.
Furthermore, he said the government has employed 76,000 teachers while another 24,000 would be hired in January 2026.
“This is is the highest number of teachers ever employed by any administration in three years since Independence,” he said.
In affordable housing, President Ruto said more than 200,000 units are under construction countrywide, creating tens of thousands of jobs for young people.
“This is just the work of two years. What about in the next three, five, 10 or 20 years?” he asked.
He thanked the residents of the cosmopolitan county of Nakuru for maintaining peace and unity even during the charged 2022 political climate.
“We must always remember that all of us are brothers and relatives of one united Kenya,” he said.
