Usahihi Expressway now takes shape as feasibility study handed to KeNHA

The planned construction of a 440km, four-lane dual carriageway linking Nairobi and Mombasa has started taking shape following the official handover of the full feasibility study to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA).

Everstrong Capital and Usahihi Expressway Limited handed over the study to KeNHA on May 5, clearing the transition from vision to execution.

The two firms said the handover is the result of the most rigorous project preparation processes ever undertaken on a privately financed road project on the African continent.

 It said the study has more than 2,300 pages of technical, financial, legal, environmental and economic analysis compiled into a single road map that outlines not just how to build a road but how to redefine mobility, trade and opportunity across East Africa.

The Sh452 billion project involves the construction of a 419km, four-lane Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway as a greenfield project under a Build-Operate- Transfer contract for a term of 30 years.

Kurrent Technologies’ chief operation officer Sanjay Gandhi said they will engage stakeholders in the Usahihi Nairobi to Mombasa Expressway by developing a Local Content Plan and partnering with Tvets to create opportunities for youth, women and persons with disabilities.

“The project aligns with global sustainability principles and includes Africa’s first wildlife connectivity modelling study to protect biodiversity through underpasses and overpasses. We are also conducting a robust public participation process to ensure inclusive stakeholder engagement, especially with vulnerable and marginalised communities."

The handover marks a comprehensive view of the Expressway’s technical, financial, legal environmental and social readiness.

This milestone unlocks the next critical phase of the project: moving towards financial closing with US and global investors and development banks leading to the start of construction in early 2026.

Everstrong Capital, along with lead arrangers JP Morgan and Standard Bank, are organising $3.5 billion (Sh452 billion) in equity and debt for Usahihi Expressway Limited.

First steps in private financing come from private investors, the US Trade Development Agency and other African development agencies.

Further, US government support is expected from US Eximbank and the US Development Finance Corporation.

Collectively, the US government agencies are expected to provide approximately $1.1 billion for the project.

The most unique part of this financing structure is the local debt component of up to $1 billion(Sh129 billion) being raised through the Pack Hunters Club, a CPF-led consortium of key stakeholders in the pensions, insurance, banking and broader long-term financing ecosystem, including Saccos and Islamic finance.

CPF chairman Hosea Kili said the Expressway is more than just a road.

“It is a promise of opportunity, safety and national growth, serving as a model of a public-private partnership done right in line with Kenya’s leadership’s commitment to not burden the taxpayers with more debt.”

The feasibility study captures the sheer scale of ambition behind the expressway — a project designed to cut travel time between Nairobi and Mombasa from 10½ hours to as little as 4½ hours, while dramatically improving road safety, unlocking regional trade, and accelerating job creation.

The proponents of the project say it will focus on sustainability, featuring wildlife corridors, electric vehicle charging and renewable energy infrastructure.

“From climate risk assessments to stakeholder engagement plans, every chapter of the report reinforces the professionalism, transparency and long-term thinking driving this partnership.”

The approval of this proposal by KeNHA and the Public-Private Partnership unit of the National Treasury will clear the path for Everstrong Capital and its partners to finalise agreements with international investors and lenders.

With financial close on the horizon, construction is targeted to begin in Q1 2026, bringing with it not just cranes and cement but tens of thousands of jobs, new commercial opportunities, and a modern transport lifeline that connects the capital to the coast with speed and safety.