The Treasury has provided an update on the proposed 461-kilometre Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway, confirming that the project has officially moved deeper into the Public Private Partnership (PPP) procurement phase, with key milestones now centred on the selection of a transaction advisor and preparation of the full project design framework.
According to the latest PPP Directorate quarterly report released in April, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) will be the contracting authority for the mega infrastructure project, which seeks to transform the existing A8 Mombasa-Nairobi road into a modern, access-controlled tolled expressway.
The PPP Directorate revealed that the procurement of a transaction advisor proposal report will be officially published on April 30, having been first published on March 10 this year.
The advisor will guide feasibility refinement, financial structuring, and overall project packaging ahead of investor engagement for the road, which will run from Mlolongo in Machakos County to Bonje in Mombasa County, according to earlier feasibility reports by KeNHA.
The project scope involves expanding the current two-lane highway into a minimum four-lane dual carriageway to improve traffic flow along the Northern Corridor.
At the same time, the Ksh466.81 billion (USD3 billion) project will also introduce controlled access points and tolling systems aimed at improving traffic flow, reducing congestion, and enhancing safety along one of Kenya’s busiest transport corridors.
The project, which also forms part of the Trans-African Highway (Northern Corridor), will link the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa and extend connectivity to several East and Central African countries, making it a significant trade and logistics route for the region.
Meanwhile, the PPP framework is being structured through a Privately Initiated Proposal (PIP), and has already been classified as a priority project under Kenya’s Medium-Term Plan IV.
The government intends to get a design concept that is cost-effective in terms of the engineering solutions that will be used.
This, among other things, during the construction works, the government also intends that the construction works will minimise disruption to local connectivity and ensure seamless movement, especially for long-distance transporters to key economic hubs along the routes.
In a related development, the government is simultaneously advancing other major infrastructure projects, including the Mombasa Southern Bypass tolling.
The process, which has already reached feasibility study completion, will now progress toward procurement of a toll operator to manage, maintain, and install tolling infrastructure.
The Southern Bypass (Dogo Kundu Bypass) has greatly improved connectivity between the Northern Corridor and Tanzania-bound routes, and eased pressure on the Likoni ferry crossing-Kenyans.co.ke.