Asian bank to back Mau Summit–Malaba Road expansion via PPP
By Kenneth Mwenda, February 5, 2026The Kenyan government has begun preparations to upgrade the Mau Summit–Eldoret–Malaba road under a public-private partnership (PPP).
The project aims to improve a key section of the Northern Corridor, a vital route that connects Kenya to Uganda and facilitates trade across East and Central Africa.
The National Treasury’s Public Private Partnerships Directorate, in collaboration with the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), started the process with a pre-feasibility study. Officials held a kick-off meeting on February 3, 2026.
A joint venture between CPCS from Canada and Avatech Engineering from Kenya will conduct the study over the next four months, funded by AIIB. The consultants will examine technical, economic, environmental, and financial aspects of the road. Their findings will guide the project’s structure and prepare for subsequent phases.
Kenya also received a USD 3.15 million (Ksh407 million) grant from the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF) to support the project. Approved during an MCDF Governing Committee meeting in Beijing on November 25, 2025, the funding will help prepare a comprehensive feasibility study for the 243-kilometre road.
The study will assess technical and engineering viability, climate resilience, environmental and social safeguards, and potential tolling structures. According to MCDF, it is designed to “foster a transparent, bankable PPP aligned with International Financial Institution standards” and to prepare critical documents, including PPP contracts and tendering frameworks, to attract private investment.
This grant marks a significant step in accelerating the upgrade, complementing the AIIB-funded pre-feasibility work, and underlines the importance of the Mau Summit–Malaba road as a key trade route linking Kenya to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DRC.
“The initiative reflects the Government’s continued commitment to leveraging the PPP framework to mobilise private investment, accelerate infrastructure delivery, strengthen regional connectivity, and support Kenya’s economic growth and trade competitiveness,” Kefa Seda, Director General of Public Private Partnerships, said in a press statement.
The procurement for a full feasibility study and transaction advisory services is already underway. The selected consultant is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026. This team will carry out detailed engineering designs, environmental and social impact assessments, financial modelling, and the transaction structures needed to attract private investors.
Road expansion boosts trade
The planned upgrade will widen the road to dual carriageway standards, improve safety, and include Intelligent Transport Systems to manage traffic. Engineers also intend to design the highway to withstand climate changes, ensuring long-term durability.
The 243-kilometre project will transform the existing two-lane road into a four-lane, access-controlled tolled highway. The upgrade aims to ease congestion, shorten travel times, lower transport costs, reduce accidents, and cut emissions from idling vehicles.
Heavy traffic, long delays, and frequent accidents currently affect trucks and other vehicles along this section of the Northern Corridor. The project will complement existing works, including the Rironi–Nakuru–Mau Summit section already under development.
Together, these upgrades are expected to improve the corridor’s capacity to handle cargo and regional transit freight to countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Once preparatory work is complete and approvals secured, KeNHA will issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in the third quarter of 2026. This will be followed by a Request for Proposals (RFP) in the first quarter of 2027. Commercial close, when contracts are finalised, is projected for the second quarter of 2027.