President William Ruto has given Kenyans a rare, symbolic show of hands-on leadership—this time from behind the wheel.
A video circulating online captures the Head of State personally driving himself along the notoriously congested Nairobi–Nakuru Highway, moments after the launch of the long-awaited dualling project, as he assured motorists that this year’s Christmas traffic nightmare will be the last of its kind.
In the undated clip but possibly taken today, the president is seen calmly cruising the busy highway in an SUV, offering a running commentary on a road he admitted has inconvenienced travellers—especially those headed to Western Kenya—for decades. Ruto described the dualling of the key trunk road as “long overdue” and said ongoing works will permanently ease congestion, reduce accidents, and save countless hours lost in traffic jams.
“This is the only year people are going to suffer the way we have always known this road—with heavy traffic, endless jams and people getting home long after Christmas,” Ruto said. “By next December, this road will be clear.”
While acknowledging that the entire project will not be complete by the end of 2026, the president stressed that the most problematic sections—where gridlock is common—will be finished in time for the 2026 festive season. Full completion, he added, is expected by June 2027.
The Nairobi–Nakuru Highway dualling was officially launched on November 28, following consultations between the government and senior officials from China Communications Construction Company (CCCC). Its subsidiary, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), has been tasked with executing the multibillion-shilling project.
Ruto also revealed that another critical stretch of the highway will be expanded simultaneously to further improve traffic flow.
Meanwhile, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has confirmed that negotiations are in their final stages for two major highway projects: the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit and the Rironi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha roads.
In a statement issued on November 5, Acting KeNHA Director General Luka Kimeli said the authority had complied fully with the Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) Act during the evaluation process.
“KeNHA assessed the Project Development Phase submissions in line with Section 43(9) of the Public-Private Partnerships Act, Cap 430, and forwarded the Evaluation Report to the PPP Directorate for review and recommendation to the PPP Committee,” Kimeli said.
He added that the PPP Committee had endorsed the findings, naming a consortium of CRBC and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) as the preferred bidders.
For millions of motorists weary of festive gridlock on the Nairobi–Nakuru corridor, Ruto’s self-driven road trip—and his bold promise—has raised hopes that Christmas travel pains may soon be a thing of the past.
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