About the Project - Rift Valley Highway Kenya’s Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit highway route

BACKGROUND

The Government of the Republic of Kenya, through the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works with the support of PPP Directorate identified 5 No projects to be implemented through the PPP model under a programme dubbed “First Mover PPP Projects”. The projects under the ‘First Mover PPP Projects” included:

Operation and Maintenance of Nairobi – Thika (A2) Road
Operation and Maintenance of Nairobi Southern Bypass
Design, Build, Finance, Operations and Maintenance of Mariakani – Kibwezi - Machakos Turn Off (A8) Road (Dualling)
Design, Build, Finance, Operations and Maintenance of Nairobi – Nakuru – Mau Summit (A8) Road (Dualling)
Design, Build, Finance, Operations and Maintenance of second Nyali Bridge

In 2016, KeNHA with the support of the PPP Directorate of the National Treasury, launched an international competitive bidding process where it sought experienced investors who would undertake the design, finance, construction, operation and maintenance of the Nairobi-Nakuru- Mau Summit highway under a PPP model (“the Project”).

The bidding process attracted 10 international consortia and culminated on September 30th, 2020 with the signing of a 30 year-contract (the “Project Agreement”) for the development of the Project with Rift Valley Highway Ltd (the “Project Company”), formed by the winning consortium of VINCI Highways and Meridiam, 2 international firms with large experience in infrastructure projects across the World.

PROJECT PROPONENTS

KeNHA

The Contracting Authority

Controls and audit the compliance of the Project Company activities toward the requirements of the Project Agreement, performed during all the stages of the Project: design, construction, and operation phases.
Provides an unencumbered Right of Way for the construction of the road. To do so, KeNHA developed a Resettlement Action Plan: identification of the affected persons, evaluation of the properties, land acquisitions, compensation and support of the displaced persons and displaced businesses.

PPP Directorate

National Treasury

Control and Oversight of the PPP process
Provide Advisory and Support to KeNHA (Technical, Financial & Legal)
Interface to the support function of the National Treasury to the Project

Rift Valley Highway

The Project Company

Develops the detailed design of the project, the construction and the operation and maintenance of the road during 30 years
Manages the environmental and social issues during the design, construction and the operation periods

PROJECT RATIONALE

The Project Road is part of the Northern Corridor which is one of the busiest and most important transport corridors in East and Central Africa, providing a gateway through Kenya to the landlocked economies of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Southern Sudan, and Eastern DR Congo. It serves as a direct transportation link for over 6 million Kenyans.

Expanding the road capacity and improving the road quality between Nairobi and Mau Summit will thus accommodate the increasing traffic in a safe and sustainable manner.

This Project largely contributes to the realization and implementation of the PPP agenda in Kenya through the delivery of first-class Infrastructure projects capable of meeting social and economic requirements of the people of Kenya in a timely, transparent and accountable manner as envisioned in the Vision 2030 blueprint and The Big Four Agenda.