The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Related Articles
The government has unveiled a plan to allocate Sh394 billion over the next five years for the construction, repair, and enhancement of major highways, despite facing budget constraints that have led to reductions in overall road funding in recent budget allocations.
In its five-year strategic plan, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) disclosed that a significant portion of this budget, amounting to Sh192.5 billion, will be allocated for the enhancement of major roads, including the dualling of the Rironi-Nakuru-Mau Summit route.
Construction of new roads, including ongoing projects, will consume Sh117 billion, while Sh84.5 billion will be directed towards rehabilitating roads in poor conditions, bringing the total investment in road projects to Sh394 billion.
Given the country’s high risk of debt distress, the government has prioritized road construction and is seeking partnerships with the private sector to complete some projects.
During the review period from 2023 to 2027, KeNHA plans to raise funds for constructing three toll roads, including the dualling of the Rironi-Nakuru-Mau Summit route, with KeNHA contributing Sh35 billion.
The agency also intends to mobilize funds for the Mau Summit-Malaba section, albeit the contractor for the dual carriageway remains undisclosed.
The Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway, spanning 473 kilometers, has received first-stage approval for construction with a budget of Sh25 billion, to be built through a public-private partnership model.
Other road projects include the Kula-Mawe-Modogashe road costing Sh11.6 billion and the Isiolo-Kula-Mawe road requiring Sh9.98 billion for completion, part of efforts to finalize projects initiated by previous administrations.
Additionally, KeNHA will construct roads such as Isiolo-Mandera, Barpello-Marichpass, and Marsabit-Segel-Maikona to enhance access and link arid and semi-arid regions to crucial markets, with an estimated expenditure of around Sh6 billion.
KeNHA aims to construct 2,349 kilometers of roads during the plan period, comprising new construction, capacity enhancement, and rehabilitation, increasing the percentage of paved national trunk roads to 63 percent and maintaining road network functionality and durability.
While the state agency estimates a spending requirement of Sh653 billion for optimal national trunk road development, available resources for road construction, rehabilitation, and capacity enhancement total Sh395 billion. Furthermore, the maintenance backlog stands at Sh120 billion against a five-year allocation of Sh107 billion.
To implement the strategic plan, including other infrastructure such as bridges, KeNHA seeks Sh708.7 billion, with Sh99.3 billion to be sourced through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), Sh1.7 billion through climate funding, and Sh8.2 billion from own-source revenue.
