Kenya’s infrastructure landscape was supposed to receive a much-needed boost with the ambitious Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway project.

A 175-kilometer artery, it promised to ease traffic congestion, boost trade, and improve safety, thereby capturing the imagination of a nation.

However, the dream has hit a harsh reality check with the French Vinci Consortium abandoning the project, leaving Kenyans not just questioning its commitment, but the future of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the country.

Touted as the concessions’ first PPP venture in Africa, it carried the weight of immense expectations. Rift Valley Highway, the consortium entrusted with the task, emphasised the project’s alignment with Vision 2030 and Big Four Agenda, promising timely, transparent, and accountable delivery. Some 10 international consortia vying for the bid further validated its significance.

Why was this project so crucial? The answer lies in the grim realities of the existing highway. Notorious for its nightmarish traffic jams and deadly accidents, it has become a bottleneck, strangling economic activity and claiming countless lives.

Its narrowness, hence inability to cope with the constant flow of vehicles, becomes a death trap during peak seasons, forcing families to spend agonising nights on the road.

The lack of a dependable railway line to the Democratic Republic of Congo further amplifies the highway’s importance as the lifeblood of the Northern Corridor. The consortium’s sudden retreat casts a long shadow over the country’s ambitions to use the PPP model on this project. Questions abound: Did Vinci enter the project with genuine intentions, or was it merely a strategic move to gain a foothold in Africa? Did due diligence fail to uncover potential roadblocks? Did overambitious promises overshadow realistic considerations?

Whatever the reasons, the consequences are undeniable. The project’s slide into limbo leaves Kenya grappling with a worsening infrastructure crisis, dashed hopes for improved safety and economic growth and a tarnished trust in PPPs.

The same French group that abandoned the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit highway project also abandoned the five-kilometer Nairobi CBD-JKIA railway project. With every failed project, doubts increase: are the French serious about these Kenyan projects?

The process was beset by tendering battles. Rumors of procurement law infractions surrounded the consortium led by Egis, and the persistent rivalry between the French and Chinese loomed large. Was Egis genuinely committed to Kenya’s advancement, or was it only enticed by the profit margins in Africa? Did the initiative come to an abrupt stop due to the complex restrictions and unclear intentions of Kenyan bureaucracy?

The Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway and CBD-JKIA rail project may have hit a dead end, but the road to improved infrastructure cannot be abandoned. Learning from this experience, fostering transparency, and prioritising genuine partnerships are key to ensuring that future projects don’t become mere mirages on the horizon.

Moving forward, Kenya must confront its own demons and seek external partners with skin in the game. Internal soul-searching is crucial to identify and dismantle the systemic roadblocks that derail these projects. Transparency, accountability, and robust vetting processes are the tracks on which trust in PPPs can be rebuilt.

Externally, diversifying partnerships is paramount. France’s retreat shouldn’t spell the end of Kenya’s infrastructure dreams. Other players willing to commit, with transparency and respect for Kenyan regulations, can help turn promises into reality. The ghosts of failed projects like the JKIA railway and Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit highway should serve as stark reminders: Kenya deserves partners who walk the talk, not leave its aspirations stranded on the sidetracks of broken promises.

Nairobi’s infrastructure ambitions may have been temporarily derailed, but the engine of progress still hums. By learning from past mistakes, prioritising transparency, and embracing honest partnerships, Kenya can finally put its infrastructure dreams on the right track.
-The writer is a public relations practitioner