Kenya has secured a multi-billion-shilling grant from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to support preparations for the Mau Summit-Malaba Highway.The development follows a meeting between senior officials from the National Treasury and the State Department for Roads and AIIB representatives at the bank’s headquarters in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, September 16.“Kenya appreciates AIIB’s support through a grant agreement for project preparation for the Mau Summit-Malaba Road Development Project, an important section of the Northern Corridor and a critical regional trade route,” the State Department for Roads stated.The grant will support preparations for the Mau Summit-Malaba Road Development Project, which forms part of the Northern Corridor.The development comes a day after President William Ruto said Kenya had secured Ksh300 million from an Asian fund to support an advanced feasibility study for the project.Speaking during a media engagement in Kisumu on Monday, Ruto said the funding would support feasibility work for the proposed road, which is part of government plans to improve connectivity along the Northern Corridor and links between Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).“We have already discussed with the Asian Infrastructure Fund, and it has given us the first 300M to do the feasibility study to extend that road from Mau Summit-Kisumu-Malaba and the other leg Nakuru-Eldoret-Malaba,” Ruto stated.The Ksh130 billion highway project had completed its pre-feasibility study in May, paving the way for a comprehensive assessment of the proposed route linking western Kenya to the Malaba border.The proposed highway will run from Mau Summit through Eldoret to Malaba, complementing the Nairobi-Mau Summit Highway and providing an additional route towards Kenya’s border with Uganda.The full feasibility study was approved for implementation between July and September, with the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the National Treasury overseeing a competitive bidding process that includes tolling as a potential mechanism for maintenance and cost recovery.The government is also engaging AIIB on the proposed expansion and modernisation of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), including the construction of a second runway.The proposed upgrades are intended to increase the airport’s capacity and support Nairobi’s role as a regional aviation hub for passengers and cargo.“The Government is also engaging AIIB on the expansion and modernisation of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), including the proposed construction of a second runway, to enhance capacity and strengthen Kenya’s position as a regional aviation hub,” the State Department for Roads added.
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