🔥 Trending Mau Summit Malaba Highway Feasibility: What You Need to Know

Kenya has made significant progress in the pre-feasibility and feasibility studies for the upgrade and capacity enhancement of the Mau Summit-Eldoret-Malaba highway, a critical segment of the Northern Corridor ¹⁴. This project, estimated at KSh 130 billion, aims to transform the 245-kilometer road into a four-lane dual carriageway through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model ¹²⁴.

Project Overview and Importance

The Mau Summit-Eldoret-Malaba road is a vital trade and logistics route, connecting Kenya to Uganda and the wider East and Central African region ⁵. It plays a crucial role in facilitating regional trade, but currently suffers from heavy traffic congestion and high accident rates, which negatively impact trade efficiency and road safety ⁵. The upgrade is expected to alleviate these issues, improve connectivity, and stimulate economic growth in the region ⁴⁷.

Key Developments and Updates

Pre-Feasibility Study Completion

The pre-feasibility study for the project has cleared major hurdles, indicating that the initial assessments and planning stages are largely complete ¹. This phase involved detailed preparatory work to evaluate the project's viability and scope ².

Launch of Feasibility Studies

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) officially launched the feasibility studies for the highway upgrade. This was marked by a Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) for consulting services related to the project ²⁸. This step signifies the commencement of more detailed technical, economic, and environmental assessments ².

Collaborative Partnerships

The project is a collaborative effort involving several key entities:

• Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA): Responsible for the implementation and oversight of the highway project ²⁶.
• Public Private Partnerships Directorate (under the National Treasury): Oversees the PPP framework for the project ⁶⁷.
• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB): Providing support to the National Treasury and KeNHA in the project's implementation, including consultancy assignments for the pre-feasibility study ³⁶.

Project Timeline and Goals

The preparatory activities for the upgrade officially commenced in February 2026 ⁴⁶⁷. The overall goal is to enhance the capacity of the road, reduce travel times, improve road safety, and boost regional trade by providing a more efficient transport link ⁵⁷.

The completion of these studies will pave the way for the next phases of the project, including detailed design, financing arrangements, and eventual construction, all under the PPP framework ⁴⁶.