Treasury Reveals Ksh 130B Plan to Expand Nakuru-Kisumu-Busia Highway to 4 Lanes

A photo showing roads. Photo KENHA

The National Treasury has given an update on the long-awaited expansion of the Mau Summit-Kisumu-Malaba highway, a key transport route connecting Nakuru and Busia counties through Kisumu.

According to Kenya’s Investment Projects Catalogue, the highway upgrade involves expanding 243 kilometres of the road into a four-lane, access-controlled dual carriageway.The road is expected to operate as a tolled highway, with motorists set to pay upfront to use the road since it will be constructed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement.

A document seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the project will be jointly implemented by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

A collage of sections of KeNHA-maintained road and a section of the Kisumu Busia Highway during maintenance works Photo KeNHA

The report revealed that the project is currently at the feasibility study stage, with an estimated construction cost of Ksh130 billion ($1 billion).Once completed, the road will form part of the broader Trans-African Highway network, which connects the Kenyan coast to landlocked Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).The highway plays a critical role as it carries an estimated 3,000 trucks daily and facilitates the movement of more than 35 million tonnes of cargo annually.

However, due to road quality and congestion, transit between Mombasa and the Malaba border exceeds 100 hours, which is above the government’s target of 78 hours for long-distance trucks.Similarly, the route has experienced high accident rates with over 4000 annual road accident deaths, highlighting the need for the highway’s upgrade.Upon its completion, the 4-lane highway is expected to ease congestion along the busy corridor, reduce travel time, and enhance road safety.

The upgrade is expected to complement the ongoing expansion of the Rironi-Mau Summit highway, creating a continuous high-capacity transport network along the critical route.

The Rironi-Mau Summit highway is currently under expansion by two Chinese companies, with the project expected to be fully completed by June 2027.