NAIROBI, Kenya — The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has advertised a major road project linking Kyuso to Tseikuru, the home area of Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, a move that has attracted political attention following the former Vice President’s increasingly public fallout with President William Ruto.
In a tender notice published this week, KeNHA invited bids for the strengthening of the Kandwia–Kyuso Road and the upgrading to bitumen standards of the Kyuso–Tseikuru (B52) Road Project.
The works form part of two national trunk road projects to be funded through the Development Votes.
According to the notice, the Kyuso–Tseikuru project will involve a mandatory pre-tender site visit scheduled for January 15, 2026, at 10:00 am at Kandwia shopping centre. The tender is set to close and be opened on February 5, 2026, at 11:00 am at KeNHA headquarters at Barabara Plaza in Nairobi.
KeNHA said the tendering process is open to eligible contractors, with bidding documents available through its website, the Public Procurement Information Portal (PPIP), or directly from its Supply Chain Management Department upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Sh1,000.
While KeNHA framed the project as part of its routine mandate to manage, develop, and maintain national trunk roads under the Kenya Roads Act, 2007, the timing has sparked political debate, given the road’s symbolic and strategic significance. Tseikuru, located in Kitui County, is widely known as Kalonzo Musyoka’s rural home and political base.
The advertisement comes against the backdrop of strained relations between Kalonzo and President Ruto, following the Wiper leader’s sustained criticism of the government over governance, the cost of living, and what he has described as selective development.
Kalonzo has also aligned himself with opposition leaders pushing for accountability and reforms, placing him firmly outside the ruling coalition.
KeNHA, however, made no reference to political considerations in the notice, emphasizing that bidders should regularly check its website and PPIP for any addenda or clarifications ahead of the submission deadline. The authority also encouraged contractors to download tender documents online to minimize physical visits to its offices.
Under Kenya’s public procurement laws, national infrastructure projects are expected to follow competitive, transparent processes, with county and regional balance guided by national development plans and budgetary allocations approved by Parliament.
As the tendering process moves forward early next year, attention is likely to remain fixed not only on which contractors bid and win the project, but also on how the government frames development in regions aligned with its political critics.
