Ruto Pledges Mombasa-Nairobi Highway Expansion Within a Year Without New Taxes or Debt

 

President William Ruto says work to widen the Mombasa-Nairobi highway into a dual carriageway will begin within a year. He made the promise on Thursday, November 12, 2026. 

He was speaking at the Kenya Comprehensive School Heads Association annual general meeting in Mombasa.

Ruto said the government will soon reveal how the project will be funded. He insisted that Kenyans will not carry extra taxes or public debt to pay for it. He did not explain the financing plan or name the source of the money.

The Treasury is already preparing the groundwork. The existing 461-kilometre route is to be widened from two lanes to at least four. A transaction adviser will study the engineering needs, traffic levels, environmental effects, and cost.

The expansion is expected to follow a Public-Private Partnership model. The final financing structure and delivery arrangements have yet to be announced. Earlier plans for the upgraded road included toll charges for motorists. 

That detail raises questions about how the President's promise on taxes will apply.

Ruto also defended the Rironi-Mau Summit highway. He said the government remains committed to finishing the project on time. He faced criticism over delays and slow progress on the works.

He added that feasibility studies are under way for an extension from Mau Summit through Eldoret to Malaba. The route would link western Kenya with Uganda.

The President restated plans for a four-lane highway from Mau Summit. The road would pass through Kericho, Bomet, Nyamira, and Kisii. It would then connect to the Kisii-Kisumu highway, which is also set for expansion into four lanes.

Ruto has said that construction of the Mau Summit-linked road could start around April 2027. That timeline depends on the completion of the Ksh200 billion Rironi-Mau Summit highway.