NAIROBI, Kenya — President William Ruto has announced that the government will soon float the tender for the long-awaited Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway, signalling progress on a flagship infrastructure project aimed at easing congestion and boosting trade along Kenya’s busiest transport corridor.
Speaking during the Kenya International Investment Conference at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Wednesday, March 25, the President said the tendering process would pave the way for the construction of the 459-kilometre highway linking Nairobi to the coastal city of Mombasa.
Ruto said the project aligns with the administration’s broader plan to transform Kenya into an industrial economy by strengthening transport infrastructure and reducing logistics costs.
The corridor will run from Mlolongo in Machakos County to Bonje in Mombasa County, based on earlier feasibility studies by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA).
“We know very well that we have significantly invested in the road sector. However, what we have done is not sufficient; that is why we will be increasing the investments. We will shortly be announcing the tender works for the construction of another Highway from Mombasa to Nairobi,” Ruto said.
The President added that the government plans to double the country’s paved road network within seven years, with expressways forming a central part of the expansion strategy.
He cited ongoing flagship infrastructure initiatives, including the Rironi–Mau Summit Expressway and the proposed Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba Standard Gauge Railway extension.
The announcement comes even as Treasury documents indicate the Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway remains at the feasibility stage more than two years after it was first approved as a privately initiated proposal.
The delay has raised questions about financing, procurement, and the structure of the public-private partnership (PPP) model expected to fund construction.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir recently told the Senate that the government was finalising the PPP assessment before moving to the development phase.
He said the PPP Directorate and KeNHA were conducting detailed cost analysis, including value-for-money assessments and financing structures for the concessionaire.
“The PPP Directorate, together with the KeNHA are currently on a detailed cost. We are looking at value for money and equity debt ratios in terms of the concessionaire, if they have demonstrated that capacity as well as our return on investment,” Chirchir told lawmakers.
The proposed 459-kilometre expressway, also known as the Usahihi Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway, is designed to cut travel time between the capital and the port city from more than 10 hours to about five.
The project aims to decongest the existing A8 highway, which carries most cargo traffic from the Port of Mombasa to the hinterland.
Plans indicate the corridor will include intelligent transport systems, electric vehicle charging stations, wildlife crossings, and climate-resilient engineering features. The project is estimated to cost Sh466.81 billion (about $3 billion), with financing expected through a PPP model involving private investors recovering costs through tolling.
