Details Of KSh 478b Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway Road To Be Built By US After Ruto's State Visit

• President William Ruto took a four-day state visit to the United States of America, where he signed multi-billion shilling trade deals
• Among the deals included the KSh 478.3 billion construction of the Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway, dubbed Usahihi Expressway
• The US firm that inked the deal with the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) said the majority of the funding will come from Kenya

TUKO.co.ke journalist Wycliffe Musalia brings over five years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Kenya and the US have signed a multi-billion shilling deal to construct the Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway.

The agreement was reached following President William Ruto's state visit to Washington, DC.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) inked the deal with US-based private equity Everstrong Capital LLC to start the construction that would rival the China-built Nairobi-Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway.

How much will be used to build the Usahihi Expressway?

Dubbed Usahihi Expressway, the Nairobi-Mombasa toll road is estimated to cost $3.6 billion (KSh 478.3 billion, based on the current exchange rate of KSh 132.9 per US dollar).

Everstrong Capital LLC said the money will be raised from international investors, development agencies, and pension funds.

According to the company, the largest percentage of the funds will come from Kenyan private investors.

"The public private partnership (PPP) project will be undertaken for a period of between three to four years, with financing being from American Development institutions and significant investments from Kenyan private sector investors and pension funds," the company said in a statement on Thursday, May 23, as quoted by Business Daily.

What are the features of Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway?

The 479-kilometre toll road will be under the management of Everstrong and its partners for a 30-year concession plan to recover their investment.

Usahihi Expressway will feature four to six lanes, which will be built over 3-4 years.

The project aims to reduce travel time between Nairobi and Mombasa from 10.5 hours to around 4.5 hours.

The road will include rest stops, wildlife observation points, electric vehicle charging stations powered by renewable energy, and overpasses for wildlife migration.

The project is expected to create numerous jobs and provide technical training through a TVET program for local communities.

What is the initial deal for Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway?

In 2023, KeNHA clarified that the tender for the construction of the road was yet to be awarded.

Among the companies that expressed interest were Korean Overseas Infrastructure and Development Corporation and American firm Bechtel.

Bechtel, which the government had tapped at KSh 300 billion, failed to start the project after disagreeing with the government on charging toll fees to users.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke