Lilian Nyiva
The government has announced fresh progress on the planned Mombasa Northern Bypass, revealing that the project has moved closer to its next development phase following ongoing feasibility studies and due diligence assessments.
According to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), officials from the authority recently met with representatives from Africa50 and the Public Private Partnerships Directorate (PPPD) to review the progress of the proposed multi-billion-shilling road project and discuss preliminary findings from the ongoing studies.
Due Diligence Underway
KeNHA said the ongoing assessments include technical, traffic and field investigations aimed at determining the project's viability and informing its financing and implementation framework.
The authority noted that the consultations also outlined the next steps required before the project can proceed to the development stage under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Project Scope
The proposed Mombasa Northern Bypass will span approximately 27.1 kilometres, linking the Mombasa–Nairobi Highway (A8) at Miritini with the Mombasa–Malindi Road (A7) at Kwa Kadzengo in Mtwapa.
The project also includes the construction of an 11.5-kilometre Bamburi Link Road, which will connect the new bypass to the Malindi highway through Bamburi.
Expected Benefits
Once completed, the bypass is expected to ease traffic congestion within Mombasa by providing an alternative route for through traffic, reducing travel times for both passenger and freight transport.
The road is also expected to improve connectivity to the Port of Mombasa, enhance logistics efficiency along the Northern Corridor and complement other ongoing infrastructure projects at the Coast, including the Dongo Kundu Bypass, the Mombasa Port Area Road Development Project, the Miritini–Mwache–Kwa Jomvu Road and the Mombasa Southern Bypass.
PPP Financing Model
The government is exploring financing for the project through a Public-Private Partnership, in line with its broader strategy of leveraging private investment to deliver major infrastructure projects while reducing reliance on public borrowing. Officials said further technical and financial evaluations will be completed before the project advances to the implementation stage.
