Ruto promises to dual Nairobi-Mombasa Highway within one year

NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 13 – President William Ruto has pledged to dual the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, saying the government will move ahead with the long-awaited expansion of the country’s busiest transport corridor within the next year.

Ruto said his administration had already developed a plan for the project and would soon communicate details of how it intends to undertake the multibillion-shilling infrastructure investment.

Speaking in Mombasa, the President urged Kenyans to be patient as the government finalises arrangements for the expansion, which is expected to transform transport along the 461-kilometre highway.

“We are going to dual the road from Mombasa to Nairobi. We must do it, and we are going to do it within the next one year,” he said.

He added: “So relax,We will . That’s how to transform a nation, my friends. That’s how a nation is transformed.”

The proposed expansion seeks to upgrade the existing predominantly two-lane highway into a four-lane dual carriageway, with separate lanes for traffic travelling in opposite directions.

The Nairobi-Mombasa highway is a critical economic artery, linking the Port of Mombasa to Nairobi and serving as a major transit route for cargo destined for Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

However, the road has for years faced congestion, frequent accidents and delays, particularly involving heavy commercial trucks transporting cargo from the port to inland destinations.

Its expansion is expected to improve road safety, reduce travel time, ease congestion and lower the cost of transporting goods across the country and the wider East African region.

The project is also expected to address longstanding concerns over road safety following a series of fatal accidents along the highway, including a crash at Salama in Makueni County that claimed 17 lives.

The latest commitment comes as the government advances plans to identify a financing and implementation framework for the project.

The National Treasury has been pursuing a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, with assessments focusing on the engineering requirements, traffic volumes, environmental and social impact, project costs and financial viability.

The proposed expansion has previously been linked to private-sector financing, although the government has yet to publicly provide a final project cost, identify the selected financing arrangement or outline the implementation timetable.

Ruto’s latest remarks come amid a broader infrastructure expansion programme targeting major transport corridors across the country.

The government is also undertaking the Sh191 billion Rironi-Mau Summit highway project, which is expected to upgrade approximately 210 kilometres of road, including a six-lane section between Naivasha and Nakuru.

The President has also outlined plans to extend the dual carriageway network from Mau Summit towards Eldoret and Malaba, while expanding road connectivity through Kericho, Bomet, Nyamira, Kisii and Kisumu.

The proposed Nairobi-Mombasa expansion would complement these projects by strengthening the Northern Corridor, which connects the Port of Mombasa to landlocked countries in the region.

Ruto has previously maintained that the government intends to pursue innovative financing arrangements for major infrastructure projects without introducing additional taxes or increasing public debt.

However, the President did not disclose the specific financing model for the Nairobi-Mombasa highway during his latest announcement, leaving questions over the project’s cost, funding structure and possible implementation arrangements.