Kenya has secured a Ksh 18 billion funding for the expansion of the Rironi-Mau Summit stretch of the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway.
The African Development Bank funding will see the expansion of the transnational highway into a four-lane carriageway.
“The Bank has taken the E&S Coordinator role for this project.It is considering to provide a senior loan of up to USD150 million (UA107million) ADB NSO loan with a 20- year tenor and 3.5 years grace period during construction,” the bank said in a statement.
Consequently, the construction of the Highway will be done under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programme.
It is expected that works on the road will take three years to be complete.
At the same time, the works will entail the widening of the 175km four-lane dual carriageway and its operation.
Additionally, the contract will also involve maintenance of the existing A8 road from Rironi to Mau Summit.
Rift Valley Highway Limited (RVH) was awarded the tender for the works.
The company is owned by VINCI Group and Meridian Infrastructure Africa Fund (MIAF).
According to data from Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), the road network accounted for 97 per cent of freight traffic in 2020.
The Nairobi-Nakuru-MauSummit highway provides gateway access to and from the Port of Mombasa Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, South Sudan, and DRC
The project is set to create some 1500 jobs during its implementation and other 2000 jobs during its operation.
Once complete,the project is set to reduce travel time from Nairobi to Nakuru by almost half of the current 3 hours.
It is also expected to greatly reduce the number of road accidents being recorded on the busy transnational highway
Also Read:Kenya Secures Sh7.4 Billion Loan To Boost Cereals Production