Kenya has secured a major boost in its quest to modernize regional transport corridors after the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF) approved a USD 3.15 million (approx. KSh 497 million) grant to support the preparation of a large-scale road enhancement project intended to improve trade and mobility between inland East Africa and the Port of Mombasa.
The approval was made during the MCDF Governing Committee meeting in Beijing on November 25, 2025. The project will be implemented by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which is taking a leading role in advancing infrastructure development across Africa.
The grant will fund a comprehensive feasibility study for a proposed public-private partnership (PPP) to upgrade a 243-kilometre stretch of the Mau Summit–Malaba road, a critical section of the Northern Corridor. The route links Kenya to Uganda, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and northwestern Tanzania — making it one of the busiest and most economically important transport arteries on the continent.
According to MCDF, the feasibility study will evaluate the project’s technical design, environmental and social safeguards, and resilience to climate and engineering risks. It will also assess tolling affordability and develop a transparent, internationally aligned PPP structure capable of attracting significant private investment. The study will further produce contract and tender documents required for project procurement.
The new assessment builds on an ongoing pre-feasibility study funded by AIIB, and follows a formal request from the Government of Kenya to accelerate preparation of the Mau Summit–Malaba upgrade. Once complete, the findings will pave the way for what will be AIIB’s first standalone investment in Kenya and its first PPP structuring effort in Africa.
MCDF noted that the proposed road enhancements could deliver substantial regional benefits, including reduced accidents, lower transport costs, eased congestion, and cut carbon emissions by minimizing long truck idling times along the corridor. The Mau Summit–Malaba stretch forms part of the Trans-African Highway Network, a strategic continental system designed to strengthen regional connectivity and economic integration.
The move marks a significant step in Kenya’s push to modernize its transport infrastructure, strengthen its role as a regional logistics hub, and improve trade flows through the Port of Mombasa.
Read: Treasury Okays Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit Road Project
>>> List of Roads Built During Ruto’s First 3 Years of Administration
Leave a comment