President William Ruto's administration has entered into an agreement with the Chinese government for the dualing of the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit-Malaba highway.
The announcement was made on Thursday afternoon by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, who revealed that the Chinese government would also be responsible for the expansion of the Kiambu road.
In his communiqué, Hussein Mohamed said President Ruto also secured a deal with the Asian nation for the construction of the Eldoret Bypass and the deadly Nithi Bridge.
According to the State House Spokesperson, the agreement followed an extensive engagement between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ruto during the latter's 4-day state visit to China.
Further, the government agreed with China for the extension of the second phase of the Standard Gauge Railway from Nairobi to Naivasha and from Naivasha to Malaba.
"This cooperation cements Kenya's role as a key Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and regional logistics partner, while integrating East Africa's transportation network and enhancing intra-regional trade," Hussein Mohamed said.
"Additionally, China has opened the door for increased private sector investment, which will be channelled into these infrastructure projects through Public-Private Partnerships, further accelerating development and deepening economic ties," he added.
Ruto's agreement with China for the dualing of the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit-Malaba highway comes barely a fortnight after Kenya cancelled a Ksh190 billion (€1.3 billion) deal with a French company that had been hired to construct the road.
Kenya's decision to end the contract with the French firm followed the government’s decision to revisit the contract after concerns from the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) officials.
The concerns prompted KeNHA to issue a notice of termination of the deal, ending the Public-Private Partnership (PPP), which could have seen the government shoulder more expenses in the construction of the highway.
Meanwhile, during Ruto's visit to China, the two leaders also committed to further collaboration in the rollout of Kenya's National Digital Superhighway Programme, which involves the expansion of the national fibre optic network.
Additionally, China pledged grants to improve hospital infrastructure in Kenya and committed to private sector investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
