Trucks to face mandatory use of Nairobi–Mombasa Usahihi Expressway

Heavy commercial vehicles will be compelled to only use the Nairobi–Mombasa Usahihi Expressway.

This has been established following revelations that the tolls expressway whose construction is expected to kick off in late 2025 shall rely on heavy commercial vehicles for the generation of up to 75 per cent of its revenues.

The construction works on the road shall take four years to complete. To raise funds for the construction of the 440 kilometre mega highway, United States’ firm Everstrong Capital is looking to raise up to Sh. 129 billion from the local market, including from local banks and local pension funds.

The developer will then raise Sh. 258 billion from external markets to bring the total estimated construction cost to Sh. 465.12 billion.

“We expect that in the middle of this year, we will be submitting the final presentation to the Public Private Partnership (PPP) unit and getting its approval and then working on the financing. At that point we can start construction, towards the end of the year,” said Kyle McCarter, the Usahihi Expressway Limited chairman.

He noted that the company is providing Sh. 12.9 billion for the acquisition of land along the way that the Usahihi Expressway shall pass. At the same time, the firm will give landowners an opportunity to exchange their land for equity in the road, with the promise of a 17.5 percent return.

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“We are working with local landowners to give them a very fair price for their land. In fact, we are involving most of them as investors in the road because this is a great opportunity for them to invest as well,” he said.

“We are depending on the CPF Capital and Advisory and its team to purchase the right of way that we need. This project pays for itself, it is not on the balance sheet of Kenya.”

After finalizing construction works, the US company shall operate the Nairobi–Mombasa Usahihi Expressway for a period of 30 years before turning it over to the government of Kenya.