A Chinese firm has been awarded a Sh4 billion contract to tarmac the Uplands–Githunguri–Ruiru road, as the government ramps up spending in the roads sector.
Shengli Engineering Construction (Group) Company Limited of Shengli Oilfield will upgrade the 44-kilometre stretch, a strategic link within Kiambu County. Construction is expected to begin on March 18 and run until April 2030.
Disclosures by the procuring authority, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), show the Sh4.06 billion contract was awarded on January 7, 2026, signalling continued State investment in transport infrastructure despite fiscal pressures.
The Uplands–Githunguri–Ruiru (B116) road will connect the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway at Uplands with the Nairobi–Thika Superhighway at Ruiru, linking two major transport corridors within the Nairobi metropolitan region.
The project entails upgrading the road to bitumen standards, including surfacing, drainage and related infrastructure.
Once complete, it is expected to ease movement of people and goods, support agricultural activity in Kiambu and unlock real estate development along the corridor.
It will also provide an alternative route to help decongest Nairobi by diverting traffic from the city centre.
However, the improved road is also expected to introduce new safety challenges. Better surfacing and wider sections are likely to increase vehicle speeds, raising the risk of accidents involving motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and livestock.
Communities along the corridor, long accustomed to poor road conditions and slower traffic, may be particularly vulnerable.
“Indeed, an improved roadway complete with a paved surface will undoubtedly encourage more vehicular traffic and will allow vehicles to travel at higher average speeds. This will increase the possibility of accidents between vehicles and with non-motorised traffic such as cyclists, pedestrians, and both domestic and wild animals,” reads part of the tender document.
To mitigate this, the contractor will be required to conduct on-site road safety campaigns throughout the construction period. These will target residents, workers and road users, particularly during peak daytime hours when both traffic speeds and human activity are highest.
Project revival
The State has restarted key road projects that had stalled due to Sh650 billion in pending bills owed to both international and local contractors. An estimated 585 projects had been halted due to the debt.
In 2025, the government unlocked the projects under a return-to-work formula, paying Sh123 billion as part of the settlement of debts accumulated between 2005 and December 2024. Many contractors resumed work in April 2025.
Cash flow constraints forced the government to securitise part of the Roads Maintenance Levy (RML), set at Sh25 per litre of diesel and petrol, to raise commercial loans.
The State securitised Sh7 from the levy in 2024 and a further Sh5 from July last year, bringing the total securitised portion to Sh12 to raise funds for contractor payments.
