KeNHA Explains Delay in Sh8.4 Billion Mombasa-Mtwapa Road Project

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has cited a number of factors contributing to the delays in the Sh8.4 billion Mombasa-Mtwapa (A7) Road project. These include difficulties in acquiring land, compensating Project Affected Persons (PAPs), supply issues for construction materials, and population concentration along the road.

The project, which began in November 2022, is now 55.96 percent complete, though it was initially expected to be finished by November 2025. This progress was under scrutiny during an inspection by the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure, who expressed disappointment with the pace of construction and questioned both KeNHA and the contractor regarding the delayed completion.

KeNHA's Director of Development, Henry Gakuru, explained that land acquisition and PAP compensation were problematic due to insufficient budgetary allocation and delays from agencies like the National Land Commission. Additionally, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East disrupted material supply. The Committee, however, argued that these issues should have been identified during the planning and appraisal stages of the project, and questioned why they were only brought up at this stage of the project's implementation.

Despite the concerns over delays, the Committee praised KeNHA for implementing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives for communities along the project corridor, which include providing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) skills training and supporting market expansion at Kongowea. KeNHA confirmed that they have reached an agreement with the contractor on a new completion date, with the remaining works expected to be finished by December 16, 2027.