The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has issued a progress report on the construction of the 42-kilometre Mombasa -Kwa Jomvu-Mariakani highway.
In a statement on Friday, September 5, the Authority revealed that the first phase of the project, from Mombasa to Kwa Jomvu, was 95.45 per cent complete while the second phase, from Kwa Jomvu to Mariakani, was 35 per cent complete.
Speaking during a routine inspection of the project, KeNHA Director General, Luka Kimeli, issued key updates on the highway, including compensation for those affected during the project implementation.
Kimeli, who was in the company of Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, disclosed that the government had already commenced the compensation of the victims, with the process expected to be complete by the end of September this year.
He further noted that the government had released adequate funds to the National Land Commission for compensation of the victims affected by the project.
According to Kimeli, the funds would also be used to pay the contractors to avoid further delay in the completion of the project that had initially stalled for years.
The project commenced in 2023 and was funded by the European Investment Bank, the German Development Bank, and the European Union at a cost of Ksh19 billion.
The scope of the works includes upgrading the current two-way single-lane road to a four-lane dual carriageway way as well as the construction of climbing lanes and service lanes.
It forms part of the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, which begins from the Mombasa highway to Kwa Jomvu interchange and extends through Miritini, Mazeras and through to Mariakani before terminating at the Mariakani Wehibridge.
The project, which was initially scheduled for completion by 2026, recently resumed after stalling for several months due to inadequate capital to pay land owners and contractors.
However, it resulted after President William Ruto's administration in April this year released cash to settle the pending bills, including the compensation of landowners and contractors.
The Ministry of Transport has, in the past, held several meetings with development partners to deliberate on the funding of the highway after the contract was awarded to the Engineering Bureau of China City Construction Group.
