The government has unveiled plans to transform the iconic Great Rift Valley Viewpoint along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway into a world-class tourism hub, introducing cable car transport, luxury hotel developments, and redesigned commercial spaces.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir announced that the proposed cable car system will cross the escarpment corridor, linking the A8 and A8 South highway segments.
“The viewpoint will be world-class, with cable cars connecting the A8 to the A8 South, the Escarpment corridor. It will be a magnificent tourism point,” Chirchir said during an interview with Kenyan Historian Enock Sikolia.
Aerial Views and Modern Infrastructure
The cable car network will transport visitors in suspended passenger cabins, offering panoramic aerial views of Mount Longonot, the floor of the Great Rift Valley, and the surrounding escarpment landscape.
Alongside the aerial cable system, the state plans to upgrade commercial infrastructure and attract private investment to lengthen visitor stays at the landmark stopover.
“We are going to redo the curio shops that will force tourists to stop and want to spend time. We will probably let investors put up hotels. We want to leverage the God-given tourist attractions of the Rift Valley,” he added.
The planned redevelopment coincides with ongoing widening works along the Rironi-Mau Summit highway, which have already disrupted local business operations at the viewpoint.
