Toll charge on upgraded Rironi Gilgil Road set at Sh8 a kilometre
Business
By
Macharia Kamau
| Jun 24, 2026
The government has approved a charge of Sh8 per kilometre on parts of the Rironi-Mau Summit Road, which is being built by Chinese firms.
Once complete, the firms will operate the road, charging users fees for maintenance and to recoup the money they will use to build the highway.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KenHa) yesterday said the toll rate for the section between Rironi in Limuru and Gilgil as well as the Rironi-Mai Mahiu-Nairobi section will be set at Sh8 per kilometre. It is yet to decide on the charges for the Gilgil-Mau Summit section.
“The project will operate as a toll road. The applicable toll tariff is Sh8, and any future adjustments shall be implemented in accordance with the project agreement and applicable government approvals and regulatory requirements,” said Kenha in a notice yesterday. This will mean motorists will fork out about Sh648 to use the 81-kilometre section between Rironi and Gilgil and Sh464 to drive on the Rironi-Maai Mahiu Naivasha section.
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The road, which broke ground in November last year, will be undertaken in two segments by two different companies that submitted privately initiated proposals. The consortium of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and Kenya’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF) will build the section between Rironi and Gilgil (81 kilometres) as well as the Rironi-Maai Maiu-Naivasha Road (58 kilometres), while the second segment between Gilgil and Mau Summit will be built by Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge International Engineering Co. Ltd (SDRBI).
The companies will raise funds to construct the road and operate it for three decades, during which they will charge motorists to use the road to recoup their investments as well as maintain the road under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
“The project comprises the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of approximately 139 kilometres of the A8 and A8 South roads, including associated interchanges, bridges, drainage structures, tolling infrastructure, road safety features, and other ancillary facilities required to provide a safe and efficient highway service,” said KenHa.
While different stakeholders agree on the need to upgrade the critical road that is part of the Northern Transport Corridor, offering connectivity to different parts of Kenya but also the region, they have raised concerns about tolling the road.