Drivers on the busy James Gichuru–Rironi Road may have to start paying tolls after the National Treasury approved plans to bring in a private investor to complete the remaining works and manage the corridor under a public-private partnership (PPP).
According to the latest quarterly PPP Status Update by the Treasury, the project note was approved last month, and the road has been described as a brownfield project that entails rehabilitating and completing outstanding civil works and introducing tolls under a management contract.
“The road is a brownfield project involving the rehabilitation and completion of outstanding civil works and the introduction of tolls under a Management Contract. The project aims to provide a sustainable framework for the operation, maintenance and long-term management of the corridor, which carries high volumes of commuter, passenger and freight traffic,” the Treasury noted.
The 25 km corridor runs from James Gichuru Junction near Westlands and ABC Place through Kangemi, Uthiru, Kinoo and Gitaru to Rironi, where it joins the Nairobi–Nakuru highway. It is a major route in the Northern Corridor, a key transport artery linking the Port of Mombasa to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The expansion was designed to add a three-lane main carriageway in each direction, service roads and improved drainage. The Kenya National Highways Authority has said the upgraded road is intended to cut travel time between James Gichuru Junction and Rironi from one hour to about 30 minutes.
Construction commenced in August 2017 under a contract awarded to China Wu Yi. The original project was valued at approximately KSh 16–18.7 billion, with the World Bank providing most of the funding. However, after prolonged land acquisition and compensation challenges, the bank pulled out, leaving the government to pick up the tab. The total cost has since risen to around KSh 20 billion, and sections of the road remain incomplete, with outstanding works, including footbridges and finishing works, still under way.
The Treasury proposes a public-private partnership to finance the pending civil works and fund the operation and maintenance of the road. Toll charges collected from motorists using the route would help fund the completion of the works and the road’s maintenance over the coming years.
If the proposal is approved, drivers will have to start paying tolls on the route. The additional costs could also affect residents and businesses in Kangemi, Uthiru, Kinoo, Gitaru and nearby wards, as toll charges could increase transport costs for commuters and businesses that rely on the corridor.
The Treasury has not yet released details of the length of the proposed concession, the expected toll rates or the precise value of the remaining works. The search for a private partner to fund the works and manage the road is expected to intensify in the coming months as the current rehabilitation works near completion.
The proposal marks a shift towards user-pay models on key national roads as the government seeks to reduce reliance on public borrowing for infrastructure maintenance and completion.
The National Treasury indicated that it would continue to pursue such proposals to ensure value for money for road users and the country’s finances.
– By John Murunga
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