The Motorists Association of Kenya has condemned the government's approval of a 30-year concession for a Chinese-led consortium to build and manage the 175-kilometre Rironi-Mau Summit Highway. The group argues the deal discriminates against users by imposing tolls while other major roads remain free, and poses risks to national sovereignty. Construction is set to begin in January 2026 at a cost of Ksh200 billion.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has selected a consortium led by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), alongside the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge International, as the preferred proponent for the Rironi-Mau Summit expressway project. The 175-kilometre four-lane highway will link Rironi in Kiambu County through Nyandarua to Mau Summit in Nakuru County, forming part of the vital A8 Northern Corridor that connects the Port of Mombasa to western Kenya and neighbouring countries like Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan.
The National Treasury's Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Committee approved the project on October 23, 2025, confirming that the consortium's feasibility report meets financial and technical requirements under the PPP Act. Works are scheduled to start before January 2026 and complete within two years, with the highway operational from 2028. Motorists will pay a base toll of Ksh8 per kilometre for passenger cars and small four-wheel vehicles, escalating by 1% annually to adjust for inflation and exchange rates. The expressway will include eight toll stations under an open tolling system, 15 interchanges, eight footbridges, 25 kilometres of service lanes, eight wildlife crossings, 41 U-turns, 41 underpasses, and 118 bus bays.
Opposition came swiftly from the Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK), which issued a statement on October 24, 2025, describing the concession as 'pure discrimination against Western-bound citizens' since tolls will apply here while roads like the Thika Superhighway and Kenol-Marua remain free. MAK warned of threats to Kenya's sovereignty and economic independence, questioning why the government cannot fund the Ksh200 billion project through taxes or loans rather than a 30-year handover. 'This move represents pure discrimination... and an alarming threat to Kenya’s sovereignty,' the association stated, drawing parallels to Chinese takeovers in Sri Lanka and Zambia. They highlighted successful toll-free expansions of roads like Nairobi Bypasses and Isiolo-Moyale, emphasizing that public assets should not be commodified for foreign control.