Renewed hope as construction of the halted Nairobi – Kiambu Road set to resume

There is renewed hope for commuters as expansion of the 17-kilometer Pangani – Muthaiga – Kiambu – Ndumberi road is set to resume following an earlier cancellation of a tender award.

The cancellation of tender notice for the Sh 21 billion expansion of the road project had raised concerns from Kiambu residents and local leaders.

This came amid frustrations by motorists, commuters and traders who have had to persevere daily traffic jams lasting for hours as a result of road congestion along the Nairobi – Kiambu road.

The pre-qualification tender notice for its improvement into a dual carriageway through financial support from the Chinese government had initially been issued by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), but is now set to be re-tendered by Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA).

“The capacity enhancement of the Pangani-Muthaiga-Kiambu-Ndumberi road project falls under KURA which is responsible for the development and management of urban road infrastructure,” reads a letter signed by Eng. Henry Gakuru from the KeNHA Director General’s office.

This was in response to a letter by Kiambu County Assembly Deputy Leader of Majority Francis Koina seeking a clarification about the cancellation of the tender, on behalf of concerned residents.

Earlier advertised under Tender Number KeNHA /2889/2025, the notice was later cancelled in another advertisement through the government’s official MyGov magazine on July 22, 2025.

In its initial notice of the tender, KeNHA had announced that the Kenyan government had received commitment from the People’s Republic of China through the China Export Import (Exim) Bank to finance the cost of the new road project.

“Following my inquiry, I was assured that the project is set to be re-tendered under Kenya Urban Roads Authority,” says Koina who is also the Kiambu Township MCA .

Koina observed that the planned road expansion is set to open huge opportunities and spur economic growth through improved trade, job creation and enhanced productivity.

“It will dramatically reduce travel time by alleviating congestion, and broadening access to markets and services, ultimately paving the way for better earnings by farmers and local traders,” maintained the leader.

Previously, some fresh farm produce meant for the local and even export markets would be delayed in traffic snarl ups for hours and some of the merchandise would go bad, leading to huge losses by farmers and traders.

“Expansion of this road should be a priority as it connects an agriculturally productive area to the market in Nairobi and beyond,” said David Kimani, a farmer and trader from Ndumberi.