US-owned Everstrong Capital Kenya Limited has expressed disappointment over a ruling by Kenya’s Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Petitions Committee. The committee declined to uphold the company’s petition concerning the evaluation of the feasibility report for the ambitious Usahihi Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway Project.

Despite this setback, Everstrong remains strongly committed to delivering the USD 3.2 billion privately financed expressway. The firm plans to continue engaging constructively with the Government of Kenya and is exploring legal redress, including a possible escalation to the High Court of Kenya. The Usahihi Expressway is a flagship infrastructure project under Kenya’s PPP framework. It involves a 4–6 lane expressway along the critical Nairobi–Mombasa corridor. The project follows a privately financed PPP model with no sovereign debt exposure and is implemented by the Kenya National Highways Authority (keNHA). It is based on an approved Privately Initiated Investment Proposal (PIIP) and a Project Development Agreement (PDA). 

The project is backed by a multi-national consortium involving firms from Kenya, the United States, Italy, Turkey, South Africa, Egypt, the Netherlands, and Spain. Trans Africa Concessions and Arab Contractors anchor it. Everstrong challenged the evaluation of its feasibility study, citing concerns over legal interpretation, procedural inconsistencies, and fairness in the treatment of investors. Although the PPP Petitions Committee dismissed the petition, the company continues to push for clarity and may seek further legal avenues while maintaining dialogue with state institutions. The financing structure relies on private equity and project debt, with no direct government fiscal exposure. Funding will come from local and international financial institutions. The company has already invested tens of millions of USD in project development and has presented evidence of committed financing, positioning the project as bankable and aligned with Kenya’s infrastructure financing strategy, the National Infrastructure Fund, and global PPP best practices. 

Projected benefits of the expressway include the creation of over 50,000 jobs during construction and operations, reduced travel time between Nairobi and Mombasa, lower vehicle operating costs, improved road safety, and enhanced trade logistics. Strategically, the Nairobi–Mombasa corridor serves as Kenya’s primary trade artery and a gateway to East and Central Africa through the Port of Mombasa. The expressway is expected to strengthen Kenya’s position as a regional logistics hub, boost intra-African trade under the AfCFTA, and improve cargo efficiency for landlocked countries. The case is being closely watched by international investors, infrastructure funds, and development finance institutions, as Kenya is seen as a benchmark PPP market in Sub-Saharan Africa.