President William Ruto has announced a one-year target for expanding the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.
President William Ruto promises to widen the highway without additional taxes or public debt as Treasury prepares the project under a PPP framework.
President William Ruto has set a one-year target to expand the Nairobi-Mombasa highway into a dual carriageway. He said the project would not require additional taxes or increase public debt.
Ruto made the announcement at the Kenya Comprehensive School Heads Association National Annual General Meeting in Mombasa on November 12. He also promised an announcement soon on how the government intends to carry out the project.
The pledge comes as the Treasury advances preparations to widen the existing 461-kilometre highway. The planned upgrade would increase its capacity from two lanes to at least four.
Nairobi-Mombasa highway financing plans
The government is preparing the expansion under a Public-Private Partnership framework. As part of that process, a transaction adviser will assess engineering requirements, traffic volumes and project costs.
The adviser’s expected work also includes examining the environmental and social impacts of the proposed expansion. These assessments form part of preparations for the multibillion-shilling road project.
Earlier proposals, however, included toll charges for motorists using the upgraded highway. That approach raises questions about how road-user payments would fit alongside Ruto’s pledge against additional taxes.
The President framed the expansion as a project his administration must deliver within the coming year. His assurance covered both the tax burden on Kenyans and additional government borrowing.
Ruto outlines western Kenya road projects
Meanwhile, Ruto defended ongoing construction of the Rironi-Mau Summit highway amid criticism over delays and progress. He said the government remained committed to completing the project on schedule.
He also said the government would complete feasibility studies for an extension through Eldoret to Malaba. The studies would pave the way for construction, extending the planned road network towards western Kenya and Uganda.
Separately, Ruto reiterated plans for a four-lane route from Mau Summit through Kericho, Bomet, Nyamira and Kisii. That road would connect to the Kisii-Kisumu highway.
Plans also call for widening the Kisii-Kisumu section to four lanes, linking Kisii, Homa Bay and Kisumu counties. The Eldoret-Malaba highway would proceed as another part of the wider road expansion programme.
Ruto had previously placed the start of the Mau Summit-linked project around April 2027. He tied that timing to completion of the Ksh200 billion Rironi-Mau Summit highway.
