Chinese Contractor Wins Sh3.22 Billion Tender for Key Nairobi Road Upgrade

State-owned Chinese contractor China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) has secured a Sh3.22 billion tender to rehabilitate and upgrade a seven-kilometre section of Old Mombasa Road, reinforcing its dominant footprint across Kenya’s infrastructure landscape.

Commissioned by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), the project will revamp the key corridor linking the Nairobi Inland Container Depot (ICD) to Syokimau.

The initiative aims to ease congestion, enhance cargo transit efficiency, resolve chronic drainage problems, and improve overall road safety in the industrial zone.

According to tender disclosures, the scope of works covers comprehensive pavement reconstruction, installation of drainage and protective barriers, road signage, relocation of utilities, and smooth traffic management during construction.

CRBC will also establish two kilometres of temporary gravel diversions to prevent transit disruption while works are underway.

The engineering plan includes extensive electrical upgrades featuring 259 double-arm LED streetlights fitted on 10-metre poles and 20 single-arm lights on eight-metre poles, alongside supporting distribution boxes, power lines, and dedicated substations.

The contract stipulates an 18-month construction timeline followed by a 12-month maintenance phase, spanning from September 2026 through April 2029.

This latest award builds on CRBC’s extensive portfolio of high-profile transport projects in Kenya. The company previously constructed the flagship $5.08 billion (Sh658.1 billion) Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), fully funded through China Exim Bank loans, as well as the 27.1-kilometre Nairobi Expressway built for Sh86.8 billion to streamline airport transit from Mlolongo to Westlands.

CRBC has also overseen the rehabilitation and beautification of the corridor between James Gichuru Road and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), addressing wear and tear from earlier mega-project developments.

Between 2012 and 2022, the Chinese firm delivered Nairobi's major ring roads, including:

Southern Bypass: Completed for Sh18 billion.

Eastern Bypass: Developed at a cost of Sh9.3 billion.

Northern Bypass: Connecting Limuru Road in Ruaka to the Thika Superhighway in Ruiru for Sh8.5 billion.

CRBC is currently putting the finishing touches on the Sh46 billion Talanta Sports Stadium along Ngong Road. Financed via an infrastructure bond through special purpose vehicle Linzi Finco, the modern arena will serve as the premier venue for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Kenya will co-host alongside Uganda and Tanzania.

Beyond urban transport and sports facilities, the contractor is involved in the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit highway under a public-private partnership framework.

Meanwhile, its parent entity, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), has been selected for modernisation works at JKIA.

The firm has also expanded into major water and agricultural developments, taking on the Sh38.8 billion Galana Dam project after the Kenyan government shifted its procurement model to an engineering, procurement, construction, and financing (EPCF) framework.