China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) has secured a Ksh 12 billion contract to extend the Nairobi Expressway westward from its current terminus at James Gichuru Road to Kikuyu town in Kiambu County, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) announced on Thursday. The award, signed at a ceremony attended by Roads Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi, is set to reshape commuting patterns on the perpetually gridlocked Waiyaki Way corridor.
The 14-kilometre extension will add three interchanges — at Rungiri, Kinoo, and Kikuyu town centre — and is expected to reduce peak-hour travel times between Kikuyu and Westlands from an average of 90 minutes to under 25. Construction is scheduled to begin in September 2026 with a 24-month completion target, meaning the road could open ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which Kenya is hoping to use as a showcase for its upgraded urban infrastructure.
A Familiar Contractor Returns
CRBC is no stranger to Kenyan motorists. The firm built the original 27-kilometre Nairobi Expressway that opened in phases between 2022 and 2023, connecting Mlolongo near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Westlands. That project, operated under a public-private partnership with Moja Expressway, has carried more than 45 million vehicle trips since its opening and turned profitable ahead of schedule.
CS Muturi described CRBC’s track record as “second to none on this corridor” and defended the direct negotiation process, which bypassed open competitive tendering, on grounds that the extension is technically a continuation of an existing concession agreement. Opposition legislators have called for scrutiny of the procurement, with Minority Whip John Mbadi questioning whether Kenyan construction firms had been given a fair opportunity to bid. KeNHA director-general Kung’u Ndung’u maintained that the contract terms were consistent with international best practice and that a value-for-money audit would be published before the first sod is turned.
Toll Economics and Commuter Impact
The extension will be incorporated into the existing Moja Expressway toll system. Current peak-hour toll rates on the original expressway range from Ksh 150 for motorcycles to Ksh 600 for heavy vehicles. KeNHA has indicated that tolls on the new section will be set at a similar level, with a combined flat-rate pass for commuters using the full Kikuyu-to-Mlolongo stretch expected to be priced at around Ksh 500 for saloon cars.
Commuter lobby groups have offered a cautious welcome. Waiyaki Way Commuters’ Forum chairman Patrick Waweru said the extension was “long overdue” but urged the government to ensure that matatu operators plying the Kikuyu corridor are not priced out. “The expressway must serve the ordinary Kenyan, not just those in private vehicles,” he said. “We want to see a structure where PSV operators can access the road at a rate that keeps fares competitive.”
KeNHA confirmed that negotiations with the Matatu Owners’ Association are ongoing regarding a subsidised PSV toll band. Safaricom’s Little Ride and other ride-hailing platforms operating in the western Nairobi suburbs are also reportedly in discussions about preferential access agreements.
Financing and Debt Concerns
The contract will be financed through a combination of a Chinese Exim Bank concessional loan — at an interest rate understood to be 2.5% over 20 years — and a Ksh 3 billion counterpart contribution from the Kenyan exchequer. The loan structure has drawn scrutiny from civil society groups conscious of Kenya’s elevated debt-to-GDP ratio, currently hovering around 68% following the IMF-mandated fiscal consolidation programme.
Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo told Parliament’s Transport Committee that the concessional terms made the debt “extremely manageable” relative to the economic returns, citing a KeNHA economic assessment projecting that the extension would generate Ksh 8.4 billion in annual productivity gains from reduced vehicle operating costs and lost-time savings. With the 2027 elections approaching and the Ruto administration under pressure to demonstrate tangible infrastructure dividends, the Kikuyu extension is as much a political statement as an engineering project.
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