Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has announced that the expansion of the Nairobi–Mombasa highway will commence in 2026.
Speaking on Monday, December 8, at the 98th Kenya Music and Cultural Festival Gala in Uasin Gishu County, Kindiki said President Ruto is expected to launch the project in February 2026.
He added that the government has already secured funding to expand the first section of the road between Machakos and Emali.
Kindiki Announces Start Date for Nairobi–Mombasa Highway Expansion. Photo: Courtesy.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of an earlier decision by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to turn down a Public Private Partnership (PPP) proposal by Everstrong Capital to develop the Nairobi–Mombasa expressway.
In a notice issued on August 12, KeNHA said it had received a proposal for the design, construction, financing, operation, maintenance and eventual transfer of the highway under a PPP framework, covering a 459-kilometre stretch from Mlolongo in Machakos County to Bonje in Mombasa County.
However, the authority said the proposal was rejected after a detailed review by the relevant committee, which found that it did not meet the requirements set out.
The committee, however, instructed Everstrong Capital to revise the project and align it with the required evaluation standards by focusing on the expansion of the existing Nairobi–Mombasa highway.
