Kenya has raised concerns over US-based Everstrong Capital’s proposal for the Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway, a 440-kilometre flagship project meant to connect the country’s two largest cities through a modern highway.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) said the bid did not meet several key requirements set by the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Committee, prompting officials to request a revised submission instead of issuing an outright disqualification.
The revised plan will replace the original idea of building a new expressway with an expansion of the existing Nairobi–Mombasa highway.
This change effectively ends what had been billed as Africa’s largest toll road and one of the most ambitious US-backed infrastructure projects on the continent.
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The decision comes two months after Everstrong Capital, led by Senior Advisor Kyle McCarter, handed in a 2,300-page feasibility study to KeNHA for review.
“The PPP Committee of the National Treasury and Economic Planning delivered its decision during its 54th Ordinary PPP Committee meeting held on July 2, 2025,” KeNHA said.
“It was determined that the proposal does not meet the relevant criteria and should be abandoned per Section 43(11)(c) of the PPP Act, 2021.”
Although the current plan has been rejected, KeNHA has invited Everstrong Capital to restructure the project to meet the required standards, specifically by focusing on upgrading the existing highway rather than constructing an entirely new road.
The expressway had been intended to ease traffic congestion, cut travel time between Nairobi and the port city of Mombasa, and boost trade along the Northern Corridor, a long-term priority for Kenya.
The revised proposal may be resubmitted for fresh evaluation by the PPP Committee in line with Section 43 of the PPP Act.
According to Eastleigh Voice, KeNHA confirmed that the PPP Committee’s decision followed a detailed review of the project’s technical and financial viability during its July meeting.
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