Kenya cements its top perch in PPPs
The Road Now Finally! Construction of the 170 KM Rironi Mau summit road has begun. The road, a section of the arterial Northern Corridor - the economic lifeline of East Africa. Due to heavy traffic and rugged terrain, movement is slow. Traffic jams sometimes last more than 10 hours, and accidents are frequent. Consequently, its upgrade was long overdue. The upgrade involves two roads being constructed simultaneously: The Rironi- Nakuru-Mau summit highway is 175 KM long and will cost a whopping US$863 million. The second, is the 58 KM Nairobi -Mai Mahiu –Naivasha highway for $678 Million. In total, the two highways will cost a whopping US$1.5 billion. The 175 KM Rironi Mau-Summit Expressway is a toll road on a 30 year PPP contract meaning, the contractor will design, Finance, build, operate, and maintain the highway for 28 years. After that,the road will revert to the government of Kenya. The work involves upgrading the single-lane road to four- lanes betwee...