KeNHA halts proposed Nairobi–Mombasa expressway, orders project restructuring
By Cy Muganda, August 12, 2025The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has officially halted the proposed Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway project and ordered its complete restructuring after the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Committee determined that the proposal failed to meet required evaluation criteria.
In a public notice issued on Monday, August 12, 2025, KeNHA disclosed that the PPP Committee rejected the privately initiated proposal for the 459-kilometre expressway that was to run from Mlolongo in Machakos County to Bonje in Mombasa County.
The authority states that this decision was made during the committee’s 54th Ordinary PPP Committee meeting held on July 2, 2025, following an evaluation of feasibility study reports submitted by the project proponent in May 2025.
“The PPP Committee determined that the proposal does not meet the relevant criteria and should be abandoned in accordance with Section 43(11) (c) of the PPP Act, 2021,” KeNHA stated in the notice.
Expansion of A8 highway
Rather than completely abandoning the infrastructure project, KeNHA stated that the PPP Committee directed it to consider restructuring the initiative to meet evaluation criteria through expansion of the existing A8 highway.
The committee indicated that once restructured, the proposal may be resubmitted for fresh determination in line with Section 43(12) of the PPP Act, 2021.
“The proposal may then be resubmitted to the Committee for a fresh determination,” the authority stated, citing Section 43(12) of the PPP Act, 2021.
According to KeNHA, the original proposal involved a Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Maintain and Transfer (DBFOMT) model under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement, which had received conditional approval to proceed to the Project Development Phase (PDP).
KeNHA reaffirmed its commitment to adhering to the PPP Act, emphasising that the disclosure was made in line with government transparency requirements and the April 24, 2025, circular on public disclosure of Privately Initiated Proposals (PIPs).
“KeNHA remains committed to strictly adhering to the provisions of the PPP Act, 2021 and further assures the public that it will endeavour to abide by the provisions of the PPP Act, 2021,” the authority stated.