President William Ruto has announced plans to expand the Mombasa-Nairobi highway into a dual carriageway within the next year, promising that the project will not burden Kenyans with additional taxes or public debt.
Speaking during the Kenya Comprehensive School Heads Association National Annual General Meeting in Mombasa on Thursday, November 12, the Head of State said the government would soon announce how it intends to undertake the multibillion-shilling project.
“In a very short time, we are going to inform the country on how we are going to dual the road from Mombasa all the way to Nairobi. We must do it, and we are going to do it within the next one year,” Ruto stated.
“We are going to do it without burdening Kenyans with additional taxes or additional debt,” he added, although he did not disclose the proposed financing arrangement or identify the source of funds.
The President's remarks come as the Treasury advances plans to expand the existing 461-kilometre highway from two lanes to at least four lanes, with a transaction adviser expected to assess engineering requirements, traffic volumes, environmental and social impacts and the project's cost.
The proposed expansion is being prepared under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework, although the government is yet to announce the final financing structure and implementation arrangements.
