Why Chinese Firms Are Already Building Rironi Road While The Nairobi Mombasa Highway Is Stuck

Kenya’s road expansion plans are telling two very different stories. Construction is moving on the Rironi to Mau Summit highway. The Nairobi to Mombasa expansion is still looking for an investor.

The 233 kilometre Rironi highway was launched by President William Ruto on November 28, 2025. It is split into two public private partnerships. China Road and Bridge Corporation and the National Social Security Fund handle the first 139 kilometres at about US$863 million. Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge International builds the 94 kilometre second section at about US$678 million.

Roads Principal Secretary Joseph Mbugua said one investor would have needed more than US$1 billion. That would have triggered extra approvals in China and caused delays. Splitting the project let contractors move to the site sooner.

The model uses 75 per cent debt and 25 per cent equity. The firms will recover their money through tolls over 28 years. The project also upgrades an existing road. This avoids heavy land acquisition.

Progress has not been smooth. On October 30 Roads Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir moved the opening of the Rironi to Naivasha section from October to December after contractors missed the target.

The Nairobi to Mombasa story is different. A Ksh468 billion plan by US firm Everstrong Capital was rejected by the Treasury PPP Committee in July 2025. Officials cited weak financing and doubts about viability. A tribunal upheld the decision in April 2026.

The government has now changed course. It plans to upgrade the existing 461 kilometre A8 highway into a four lane toll road. A transaction adviser is being hired to guide the search for a new investor.

The gap between the two roads is therefore about financing and planning. The nationality of the contractor is not the deciding factor.

https://x.com/peopledailyke/status/2116445330426454175?s=46

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