NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 18 – The government has stepped up preparations for the construction of the Mau Summit–Eldoret–Malaba road, with a high-level inter-agency committee directing state agencies to urgently resolve outstanding issues ahead of the project’s commencement.

📻 Breaking It Down

The development comes as the government seeks to upgrade the key Northern Corridor link to improve the movement of people and goods from Mombasa through western Kenya to Uganda and the wider East African region.

Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo on Tuesday chaired the seventh meeting of the Inter-Agency Project Steering Committee overseeing the implementation of the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit and Nairobi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha road projects.

During the meeting, the committee also reviewed the status of the Mau Summit–Eldoret–Malaba corridor, noting ongoing preparatory activities and reaffirming the government’s commitment to commencing the project.

📌 What You Need to Know

The committee brought together Roads PS Joseph Mbugua, Interior and National Administration PS Raymond Omollo, PPP Directorate Director-General Kepha Seda and senior officials from the Kenya National Highways Authority, the Public Debt Management Office, Budget and Economic Affairs and the PPP Directorate.

The officials assessed the progress of the project, emerging challenges and the government support required to move it into the implementation phase.

The committee subsequently directed the relevant government agencies to urgently address outstanding issues within agreed timelines, underscoring the administration’s push to accelerate the delivery of the road.

The Mau Summit–Eldoret–Malaba corridor is a critical section of the Northern Corridor, which connects the Port of Mombasa to Uganda and other landlocked countries in East and Central Africa.

The proposed upgrade is expected to significantly improve the movement of cargo through western Kenya while reducing congestion and travel times along one of the country’s busiest trade routes.

The project is being developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, with the government pursuing private-sector participation in financing, construction and operation of the road.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya