Motorists on a section of Mombasa Road. Kenha has announced temporary closure of a section of Mombasa Road for six days for repairs.
Some Sh4.5 billion raised via securitisation of the Roads Maintenance Levy (RML) is funding rehabilitation of the Mombasa Road section that was damaged during construction of the 27.1-kilometre Nairobi Expressway.
Martin Agumbi, acting Director General of the Kenya Roads Board (KRB), said the amount is part of Sh21 billion from the securitised fund that has been allocated for critical roads projects.
The Mombasa Road section, spanning the entire stretch of the expressway from Mlolongo to ABC Place in Westlands, was significantly damaged during construction of the double-decker highway, inconveniencing motorists and pedestrians.
Kenya securitised Sh7 per litre raised from RML to tap commercial loans that have provided billions of shillings to partly clear pending bills and allow resumption of road projects. RML is charged at S25 per litre of diesel and petrol.
“We have allocated Sh4.5 billion from the money raised through securitisation to rehabilitate the lower part of the expressway, all the way to Westlands. This is one of the priority projects being funded by the money raised,” Mr Agumbi said.
The Sh7 will act as security for a Sh175 billion roads bond that will be issued next month to pay commercial banks that have, since last year, provided loans to pay road contractors, paving the way for the resumption of works at over 500 stalled projects.
The Sh4.5 billion is half the amount that former Cabinet Secretary for Roads, James Macharia, had in 2022, said would be used for the project, to be undertaken by China Roads and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).
The project, however, went quiet following a change in administration, even as motorists and pedestrians complained of the poor state of the road from Mlolongo to Westlands.
Rehabilitation of the lower deck of the expressway has been the subject of Parliamentary debate, with the Senate questioning why the Ministry of Roads allocated Sh9 billion, yet the contractor CRBC is responsible for damages and should take full responsibility for restoring the road to its original state.
The Senate also questioned why the rehabilitation of the road was not factored into the Sh72.8 billion budget of the Nairobi Expressway.
The project falls under Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), the agency which has received the second highest allocation of the money raised via securitisation so far.
Data from KRB shows that KeNHA has received Sh52 billion between March last year and January 5, 2026, behind the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) with an allocation of Sh67.2 billion, while Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) has received Sh12.9 billion in the same period.
KeRRA is tasked with developing, maintaining and managing rural roads, and the high allocation is largely due to the poor state of the roads largely due to previous budgeting constraints.
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