Nairobi — The dualing of the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway will cost about Sh90 billion and is expected to be completed by June 2027, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has announced.

The project cost is significantly lower than the Sh190 billion earlier quoted by a French consortium whose deal was cancelled by President William Ruto for being too expensive.

KeNHA has selected China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to handle the tolling and development of the highway. The consortium was awarded the contract after proposing lower toll rates, easing the financial burden on motorists using the key transport corridor.

Earlier this year, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi called for the expansion of the busy Nairobi-Nakuru road into a dual carriageway to improve traffic flow to western Kenya.

Mbadi said the expansion would help reduce the frequent traffic jams that inconvenience motorists, forcing some to use longer alternative routes such as the Bungoma-Kakamega-Kisumu-Narok route to avoid congestion.

"We borrowed money to build roads up to rural areas, yet an important route like the Nairobi-Nakuru highway remained single-lane. Making it dual will help travelers reach their homes faster," Mbadi said.