Mau Summit–Malaba road upgrade receives Sh408M boost

Kenya’s plan to modernise one of its busiest transport corridors has received a significant boost after the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF) approved a USD 3.15 million grant to prepare a major road enhancement project. 

The decision was made during the MCDF Governing Committee meeting held in Beijing on 25 November.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will implement the project, which is expected to strengthen trade and transport links between Kenya’s interior regions and the Port of Mombasa, a key gateway for East and Central Africa.

The grant will fund a detailed feasibility study for a proposed public-private partnership (PPP) upgrade of the 243-kilometre stretch between Mau Summit in western Kenya and the Malaba border point. 

The route forms part of the Trans-African Highway Network and connects Kenya to Uganda, eastern DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and northwestern Tanzania.

According to MCDF, the study will examine the road’s engineering needs, climate resilience, environmental and social safeguards, and the affordability of tolling. 

It will also outline a transparent, investment-ready PPP model aligned with international standards, including the structure of the partnership, contract design, and tendering framework.

The new study builds on an earlier pre-feasibility assessment funded by AIIB and follows a formal request from the Kenyan government seeking support to advance preparations for the corridor’s upgrade.

If approved for development, the Mau Summit–Malaba project will represent AIIB’s first standalone investment in Kenya and its first PPP structuring effort in Africa.

The eventual road improvements could significantly reduce accidents, ease congestion, cut carbon emissions by minimizing long truck queues, and lower transport time and costs for the thousands of vehicles using the corridor daily.

Transport infrastructure has long been recognised as a critical driver of Kenya’s economic growth.

In his State of the Nation Address on 20 November 2025, President William Ruto outlined a Sh 5 trillion, four-point national development plan, with transport and logistics reform at its core.

The blueprint aims to modernise the country’s highways, ports, and rail networks, transforming Kenya into a regional trade hub and industrial powerhouse.

Central to this vision is the dualing of 2,500 kilometres of highways and tarmacking an additional 28,000 kilometres over the next decade.

The Mau Summit–Malaba corridor, part of the Trans-African Highway Network, is strategically located due to its connection between Kenya’s interior, neighbouring countries, and the Port of Mombasa.

Complementing road upgrades, President Ruto announced modernisation plans for key ports, including Mombasa and Lamu, and extensions of the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to Kisumu and eventually Malaba, facilitating seamless freight movement across East Africa.

Financing these ambitious projects will rely on a combination of public-private partnerships (PPP), the National Infrastructure Fund, and a Sovereign Wealth Fund, designed to attract global investors while safeguarding national assets.

The approach aims not only to expand transport capacity but also to reduce travel time, lower logistics costs, minimize accidents, and curb carbon emissions.

By placing roads, rail, and ports at the center of its economic strategy, Kenya seeks to enhance regional trade, stimulate industrial growth, and lay the foundation for long-term competitiveness and prosperity.