NAIROBI, Kenya, June 2 – The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has invited consulting firms to bid for a technical feasibility study that will pave the way for the expansion of the Mau Summit-Eldoret-Malaba highway under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The proposed study marks a significant step towards upgrading one of Kenya’s most strategic transport corridors, a route that serves as the backbone of regional trade between the Port of Mombasa and neighboring countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.
Funded by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the consultancy assignment will assess the technical, environmental, social and financial viability of increasing capacity along the approximately 245-kilometre road section.
“The study will provide the technical, environmental, social, climate, and tolling inputs required to support subsequent PPP structuring and procurement.”
“The duration of the assignment is expected to be 12 months, with the expected start date of the assignment in September 2026.”
The authority said the findings will guide the development of a PPP framework for the project, including possible tolling mechanisms and the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to improve traffic management and operational efficiency.
The Mau Summit-Eldoret-Malaba highway forms part of the Northern Corridor, East Africa’s busiest trade route, handling the movement of billions of shillings worth of cargo annually from the Port of Mombasa to landlocked countries across the region.
The planned expansion comes amid growing traffic volumes that have increasingly strained the corridor, leading to congestion, longer travel times and rising transport costs for businesses.
Under the tender, interested firms must demonstrate experience in large-scale highway engineering, PPP transaction advisory, tolling infrastructure, environmental and social impact assessments, and projects financed by multilateral development banks.
KeNHA estimates the study will require between 2,000 and 2,200 professional staff-days involving both local and international experts in engineering, traffic planning, climate assessment, environmental safeguards and PPP development.
The feasibility study is expected to generate the technical and commercial data needed to determine the project’s scope, financing structure and implementation model before the government proceeds with procurement of the highway upgrade.
The consultancy assignment is expected to commence in September 2026 following completion of the procurement process and contract signing.
