The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has announced plans to allocate part of the Ksh15.8 billion loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) towards a review of the pricing of the Mombasa-Mariakani Highway Project.
The project is a crucial import-export route and a vital part of the Northern Corridor, connecting the port of Mombasa in Kenya to landlocked countries like Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
On Tuesday, September 2, KeNHA announced plans to hire consultants to review how the project is managed, financed, and executed. This review will help set standards for future KeNHA projects.
In the review, the expert is also required to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the application of Variation of Price (VOP) within the Authority’s projects. VOP is a contractual mechanism designed to protect both the client (like KeNHA) and the contractor or consultant from unexpected changes in the cost of key resources over the life of a long-term project.
As such, the consultant will be expected to develop a policy statement and procedural guidelines for the application of VOP across all projects, regardless of the funding source.
Another task assigned to the expert included conducting a comprehensive independent review of the application of the price adjustment formula in selected road contracts. This would include assessing the credibility, appropriateness, and acceptability of the indices used in the formula.
Further, the expert would be required to review the inclusion and formulation of the price adjustment formula in KeNHA bidding documents to assess its consistency with national and international best practice.
While inviting eligible candidates to apply, KeNHA noted that the services would be needed for a duration of seven months.
“Interested individual consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services as per the Terms of Reference provided on the KeNHA website,” the Authority noted.
KeNHA added that the information provided would include, but is not limited to, their Curriculum Vitae (CV), qualification documents, references to similar services, and experience in similar assignments.
In addition, the Authority informed that the eligibility criteria, establishment of the shortlist and the selection procedure would be in accordance with the African Development Bank’s “Procurement Policy for Bank Group Funded Operations - August 2015”, which could be found on AfDB’s website.
KeNHA directed interested applicants to submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) in written form and clearly marked with the assignment title and tender number, and deposited or addressed to the Director in charge of Supply Chain Management at KeNHA offices on or before Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 11am. Electronic submission through email via tender2899@kenha.co.ke was also accepted.
Mombasa-Mariakani Highway Project
The project consists of the dualisation of a 41.7-kilometre stretch of the Mombasa-Mariakani Highway with capacity enhancement from the current 2-way lane to a 4-way lane dual carriageway with climbing lanes and service lanes in the urban sections.
The project will also involve the improvement of grade intersections along the project road and the construction of non-motorised facilities, pedestrian footbridges, enhanced urban drainage, truck parking facilities, and weighbridges for axle-load control.
Work on the project commenced in July 2023. The project will run for a period of 30 months and is expected to be completed by the end of January 2026.
With increasingly constrained capacity due to traffic volumes largely dominated by heavy trucks, the road experiences persistent congestion that hinders access to the main seaport of Mombasa.
However, once completed, the road is expected to improve access and connectivity between Kenya and the rest of East and Central Africa by reducing travel time and vehicle operating costs along the northern corridor.
