KeNHA has officially confirmed motorists will pay Ksh8 per kilometre to use the Rironi-Mau Summit highway, with a full Nairobi-Nakuru trip costing about Ksh1,112. Here's everything you need to know.
Motorists to Pay Ksh8 Per Kilometre on Rironi-Mau Summit Highway, KeNHA Confirms
Kenyan motorists now have official figures to plan around as the much-talked-about Rironi-Mau Summit highway inches closer to reality. The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has confirmed that road users will be charged a toll fee of Ksh8 per kilometre once the road becomes operational, settling months of speculation over how much the journey from Nairobi to the Rift Valley will eventually cost.
What the New Toll Means for Your Pocket
For anyone making the full trip from Nairobi to Nakuru, the numbers are now clear. Based on the current tariff, motorists travelling the full stretch from Nairobi to Nakuru will pay about Ksh1,112 per trip. That's the price of convenience on a highway designed to cut down the notorious traffic snarl-ups and long travel times that have defined this corridor for years.
Importantly, this isn't a one-route affair. The toll fees will apply to motorists using both the Rironi-Naivasha-Gilgil and Rironi-Mai Mahiu-Naivasha routes, meaning whichever path you choose into the Rift Valley, you'll still be paying to use the upgraded infrastructure. However, KeNHA has been clear that these figures are subject to future adjustments and regulatory approvals, so motorists shouldn't treat this as a permanently fixed rate.
A Long-Term Tolling Arrangement
This isn't a short-term toll booth setup. According to project disclosures, the 139-kilometre highway will operate as a toll road for the next 30 years under the current Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. The arrangement was born out of a competitive process where China Road & Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Board of Trustees were selected as the Preferred Proponent for the project, beating out other bidders in a process KeNHA says met all the required public-private partnership standards.
Notably, the Ksh8 figure isn't expected to stay frozen for three decades. The toll is expected to increase by one percent annually to account for inflation and exchange rate fluctuations — a detail every regular commuter on this route should keep in mind when budgeting long-term.
Why the Toll Structure Looks the Way It Does
KeNHA's own evaluation committee laid out its reasoning plainly, stating that the CRBC and NSSF consortium aligned with the Contracting Authority's Output Specifications and PPP Act Cap 430 requirements with a proposed toll rate of Ksh8 per kilometre and a 1 percent escalation rate per annum.
It's also worth noting that not every motorist will pay the same rate. The base rate of Ksh8 will apply specifically to passenger cars and small four-wheel vehicles, while heavier commercial vehicles like trucks and buses are expected to be charged differently. Separately, four categories of road users — including ambulances, military and police vehicles, as well as local traffic belonging to residents living along the route — will either pay reduced rates or be fully exempted from tolling altogether.
When Will Motorists Start Paying?
The timeline keeps shifting slightly, but officials have been giving Kenyans a clearer picture. Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir recently told a parliamentary committee that the Rironi to Naivasha section will be opened for traffic in August this year, with the entire corridor expected to be completed by June 2027. Tolling will kick in once the relevant sections are fully operational.
The Bigger Picture
Beyond the toll fees, the highway carries massive economic significance. KeNHA has framed the project as a strategic component of the Northern Corridor and the Trans-African Highway, a network crucial for boosting regional connectivity, trade facilitation, and economic integration across East and Central Africa. For ordinary Kenyans, that translates to faster trips, reduced vehicle operating costs, and improved trade flow between Nairobi, the Rift Valley, and western Kenya.
Still, not everyone is celebrating. The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) has criticised the government's decision to hand over the construction and management of the highway to a private consortium, describing the move as discriminatory and a threat to Kenya's sovereignty. Whether that pushback will influence the final toll structure remains to be seen.
For now, motorists planning long trips along the Nairobi-Nakuru corridor have a number to work with — Ksh8 per kilometre — and should budget accordingly as construction progresses toward completion.