Kenya Gives U.S. Firm Another Shot at Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway

Kenya

An American investment group has been given a renewed opportunity to advance plans for a major highway linking Nairobi and this port city, after Kenyan officials sent its proposal back for revision, according to government documents and industry officials.

The project, a $3.6 billion toll road conceived as a public-private partnership, was returned to the project development stage after the National Treasury’s Public-Private Partnership Committee found that its initial proposal did not meet key standards for affordability, feasibility and public interest.

The American firm, Everstrong Capital, must now prepare a fresh Project Development Report laying out the financial underpinnings of the plan, including clearer cost projections and a strategy for land use, before it can resume formal review.

Officials said the decision reflects broader concerns about the viability of constructing an entirely new expressway from scratch, particularly because of uncertainties around land acquisition costs and how high tolls might affect ordinary motorists. Preliminary estimates suggested drivers could pay roughly Sh5,280 for a full trip, a figure that officials worried might put sustainable use out of reach for many.

At a meeting in July 2025, the PPP Committee, which evaluates major infrastructure proposals under the 1991 Public-Private Partnership Act, determined that the original feasibility submission “did not meet the relevant criteria” and could not move forward in its current form.

The move marks a significant pivot for what has been among Kenya’s most ambitious planned road projects — and a rare second chance for Everstrong, which has positioned the expressway as a catalyst for economic development along the nation’s busiest trade corridor.

Under the revised timetable, Everstrong and the Kenya National Highways Authority will draft a restructured feasibility study for resubmission. The authority indicated the project might now be reframed to upgrade the existing Mombasa Road corridor rather than build a completely new route, a shift that could reduce land costs and mitigate some financial risk.

Everstrong’s leadership, including former U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter, has acknowledged the revision and said the company and Kenyan road officials were preparing a new submission. “We will issue a press release when it is officially submitted,” McCarter said in a brief statement.

The expressway project has long been pitched as a way to cut travel times and transportation costs between Nairobi and Mombasa, which are crucial nodes in East Africa’s economy. But previous attempts to move the plan forward have faltered amid questions about financing, land rights and investor confidence.

Analysts say the latest developments reflect the broader challenges of attracting private capital to infrastructure in emerging markets, especially projects that hinge on toll revenues in regions with mixed income levels.

As the revised proposal takes shape, stakeholders on all sides appear to be seeking a balance between ambition and economic reality, a test that could determine whether this long-planned expressway ever becomes a reality.