Kenya's Rironi-Naivasha highway misses its October deadline as minister blames bitumen shortage

Chirchir gave the new date on October 30 while touring the works in Naivasha with members of the National Assembly's transport committee, Kenyans.co.ke reported. The government now wants the section dualled and open to traffic in early December. The 60-kilometer stretch is phase one of the Rironi-Mau Summit highway, a public-private partnership worth Ksh200 billion. China Road and Bridge Corporation is widening the existing road there from two lanes to four.

In a post on X, Chirchir said bitumen had been hard to obtain for two months because of geopolitical problems and supply chain disruption, Citizen Digital reported. He said a kilogram that cost Ksh90 six months ago now costs Ksh220, blamed disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and said pooled orders on larger ships could bring import costs down, according to The Rio Times. On the same tour he said supplies for the section had been secured, more than 90 crews were deployed and work was moving at about 4 kilometers a week. During the visit, workers at Lari laid the project's first course of dense bituminous macadam.

Not everyone accepts the explanation. The Motorists Association of Kenya challenged the repeated changes to the completion date and dismissed the bitumen argument, People Daily reported. Rigathi Gachagua, a former deputy president who now leads the Democracy for Citizens Party, alleged on November 1 that Chinese officials had refused to release money for the road. Kenyans.co.ke said the Chinese contractor and the ministry had not replied to his claim.

The Rio Times noted that the government has given no figure for how much of the section is built, and the contractor has put out no revised timetable. Chirchir said design of the planned Naivasha Junction interchange, with roads crossing over and under, will still be unfinished when the section opens. Planned tolls are Ksh8 per kilometer between Rironi and Naivasha.