The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has revealed that a proposal to build a 459-kilometre Nairobi–Mombasa expressway was rejected after failing to meet legal evaluation standards. The project, put forward by Everstrong Capital under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, aimed to connect Mlolongo in Machakos County to Bonje in Mombasa County.
According to KeNHA’s statement issued on Tuesday, August 12, the proposal was submitted as a Privately Initiated Proposal (PIP) for the design, construction, financing, operation, maintenance, and eventual transfer of the highway. The PPP model was expected to reduce the government’s direct funding burden while enabling private investment in infrastructure.
Everstrong Capital’s plan initially received conditional approval from the PPP Committee to proceed to the Project Development Phase (PDP). As part of this phase, the company conducted feasibility studies and submitted its findings in May 2025. KeNHA, as the contracting authority, then evaluated the submissions in line with Section 43(9) of the PPP Act, 2021, which mandates a thorough review of all PDP documents. The resulting evaluation report was forwarded to the PPP Directorate for recommendations before reaching the PPP Committee for final approval.
After reviewing the report, the PPP Committee — working with the National Treasury and Economic Planning — concluded that the proposal did not meet the required criteria outlined in the PPP Act. The decision was formally made during the committee’s 54th Ordinary Meeting on July 2, 2025. In line with Section 43(11)(c) of the law, the project was abandoned in its current form.
However, the PPP Committee gave Everstrong Capital an opportunity to revise its plan. It advised that the company restructure the project to focus on expanding the existing Nairobi–Mombasa highway instead of creating a completely new expressway. Should the revised proposal meet evaluation standards, it could be resubmitted for fresh consideration under Section 43(12) of the PPP Act.
KeNHA emphasized that it is committed to upholding the provisions of the PPP Act, 2021, and assured the public that all infrastructure proposals will continue to be processed in line with established legal and procedural requirements. The authority also underscored its role in ensuring that projects meet both technical and financial viability standards before receiving approval.
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