A8 expansion part of Usahihi Expressway plan, not a competing alternative: Everstrong » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya – US-based infrastructure investor Everstrong Capital has dismissed claims that the Sh468 billion Nairobi–Mombasa Usahihi Expressway project has been cancelled.

The firm has insisted the project remains under active review by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), the Public-Private Partnerships Directorate, and the National Treasury, and that upgrades to the existing Nairobi-Mombasa highway will form part of the project.

Everstrong said recent government communications about upgrading the existing A8 highway were “technical clarifications” rather than a termination of the proposed expressway.

“Contrary to recent media reports, the Usahihi Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway has not been rejected or terminated,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The expansion of the existing highway is one component of the Usahihi Expressway plan, not a competing alternative.”

The firm explained that the Usahihi Expressway is designed as a corridor-wide infrastructure solution, combining a new expressway with targeted upgrades to the current A8 to improve safety, reduce travel time, and stimulate economic growth.

The proposed 459-kilometre toll road, running from Mlolongo in Machakos County to Bonje in Mombasa County, is structured under a Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Maintain, and Transfer (DBFOMT) model.

July 2 evaluation

It aims to provide a faster, more reliable connection between Nairobi and the coast while easing congestion on the existing highway.

On July 2, during its 54th ordinary meeting, the PPP Committee under the National Treasury’s Economic Planning Department resolved that the project proposal did not meet certain evaluation criteria under Section 43(11)(c) of the Public-Private Partnership Act, 2021.

“The PPP Committee, National Treasury Economic Planning, delivered its decision during its 54th Ordinary PPP Committee meeting held on 2nd July 2025, determining that the proposal did not meet the relevant criteria and should be abandoned in accordance with Section 43(11)(c) of the PPP Act, 2021,” read the notice in part.

The committee directed KeNHA to restructure the proposal to focus on expanding the A8.

According to KeNHA, the proposal had earlier received conditional approval to proceed to the Project Development Phase (PDP), during which feasibility studies were conducted and submitted in May 2025.