Your Read is on the Way
Every Story Matters
Every Story Matters
The Hydropower Boom in Africa: A Green Energy Revolution Africa is tapping into its immense hydropower potential, ushering in an era of renewable energy. With monumental projects like Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Inga Dams in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the continent is gearing up to address its energy demands sustainably while driving economic growth.
Northern Kenya is a region rich in resources, cultural diversity, and strategic trade potential, yet it remains underutilized in the national development agenda.
Can AI Help cure HIV AIDS in 2025
Why Ruiru is Almost Dominating Thika in 2025
Mathare Exposed! Discover Mathare-Nairobi through an immersive ground and aerial Tour- HD
Bullet Bras Evolution || Where did Bullet Bras go to?
On paper, it looked like a major win for infrastructure: a modern four-lane dual carriageway connecting Pangani, Muthaiga, Kiambu, and Ndumberi, funded by a powerful foreign lender and executed by global contractors. But within just one week, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) pulled the plug on the tender process without a word of explanation.
The advertised tender had drawn immediate attention—not because of its size, but because of its exclusivity. Only Chinese companies or Chinese-led joint ventures were allowed to apply, under a strict financial eligibility bar of KSh.32 billion in annual construction turnover over five years. While the Chinese Exim Bank had already confirmed financing, many saw the restrictions as a red flag.
The backlash came fast. Local stakeholders and legal experts raised alarms, accusing KeNHA of flouting the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, which grants preferential access to Kenyan firms in public contracts. Critics argued that handing the multi-billion project to foreign bidders without competition not only defied the spirit of the law but locked out potentially competent local or joint-venture firms.
Within seven days, KeNHA quietly withdrew the tender. No press conference. No formal justification. Just a brief follow-up notice that revoked the original offer. The move did little to calm concerns. If anything, it stirred more questions about who’s really pulling the strings behind Kenya’s infrastructure deals—and who’s being left out.
The project aimed to transform the congested B32 route—one of the busiest commuter corridors in Nairobi’s metropolitan ring. The upgrade would have replaced the aging two-lane stretch with a modern four-lane highway, complete with pedestrian walkways on both sides, six footbridges, and several new overpasses and U-turn bridges, including links near Muthaiga Golf Club and the DCI headquarters.
If completed, the new design would have eased travel time for thousands of daily commuters and significantly reduced traffic bottlenecks in areas like Runda and Kiambu town. It was an ambitious plan, but one now suspended in mid-air.
While China has played a pivotal role in financing and building roads, railways, and ports in Kenya, recent years have seen growing public skepticism over how these partnerships are managed. From opaque bidding processes to debt dependency concerns, the model has come under increasing scrutiny.
Limiting the B32 project to Chinese bidders without transparency only added fuel to that fire. KeNHA’s decision to demand enormous financial turnover figures further narrowed the field to a handful of mega-firms, effectively excluding smaller players and regional competitors.
In a country where infrastructure investment is closely tied to both politics and economic influence, the cancelled tender becomes more than a lost project—it becomes a mirror of how deals are made behind closed doors.
With the tender revoked and no statement on whether it will be re-advertised, the future of the Pangani–Ndumberi upgrade remains a mystery. Will KeNHA revise the terms to allow Kenyan firms to compete fairly? Will the Chinese lender stay on board if the conditions change? Or was this entire deal designed to quietly slip through legal grey zones—until someone noticed?
Whatever happens next, the episode has left a mark. It has exposed the fault lines between economic ambition and lawful process. And unless those tensions are resolved, Kenya risks losing not just contracts—but public trust.
0 comments