The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) targets to work on 2,349 km of roads including 1,183 km new roads across the country.
The road works will also, enhancing the capacity of 674 km of roads and rehabilitating another 492 km.
KeNHA in its draft 2023 – 2027 Strategic Plan says the move will increase the percentage of the paved national trunk road network to 63 per cent.
KeNHA is responsible for the National Trunk Road Network which includes class S, A and B which totals to 21,583 km.
The trunk road network includes 40 km all paved Class S Road, a total of 6,830 km Class A Roads and 14,713 km of Class B Roads.
The authority says it will also cumulatively maintain 75,891 km of the national trunk road network and design 5,575 km of the road network.
Other key results to be achieved include design, construction and maintenance of structures to improve effectiveness, efficiency and compliance with environmental and social standards.
KeNHA Director General Kungu Ndungu said the strategic plan presents a departure from the previous strategic plan in two ways.
“First, it takes cognizance of the increased financing requirement for the development and maintenance of the National Trunk Road Network and makes a bold step in making policy proposals to bridge the financing gaps. Secondly, it ties the targets to the investment plan and aligns with the changing development priorities as articulated in the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), hence making it people-centred,” he said.
The implementation of the Strategic Plan requires Sh 705.6 billion of which Sh 96.5 billion will be funded through Public Private Partnerships, Sh 5.2 billion through Climate funding.
The authority says Sh 8.2 billion will be sourced through own source revenue leaving the funding deficit with approximately Sh13 Million.
Further, KeNHA says to effectively finance the implementation of the strategic plan, it will lobby the exchequer for adequate funding.
It is also planning to engage development partners to finance major projects, enhance its internal revenue generation capacity, embrace PPPs and tolling of key roads.
The Authority projects to raise Sh 8.2 Billion own source revenue during the plan period.
KenHA further stated that the pending bill as at the beginning of the plan period was approximately Sh 80 Billion which limits the available resources for construction of additional roads.
According to Kungu the Strategic Plan is anchored on five key result areas and seeks to accomplish five strategic goals.
These include the provision of adequate infrastructure that meets stakeholder needs, ensuring the road network maintains its functionality and durability, increasing effectiveness and efficiency in operations and enhancing environmental and social sustainability.
Other areas include improved capability in development and management of National Trunk Roads.
“These goals shall be actualized through strategic objectives and strategies,” Kungu said.
He said the strategic imperatives identified within the strategic plan include human resource capacity, a learning-oriented monitoring and evaluation system among others.
He said the imperatives form the critical success factors necessary to achieve the outlined strategies.
KeNHA has given notice to the public to provide their feedback on the Authority’s draft 2023 – 2027 Strategic Plan.
The plan is available for download on the KeNHA website and can be accessed through the link: https://kenha.co.ke/strategic-plan/ or through the QR code.
Kungu said the feedback and further inquiries about the strategic plan can be channeled to the Authority through [email protected] by October 5.
During the 2020/2021 – 2022/2023 Strategic Plan period, KeNHA constructed 1,290 km of roads out of the target of 2,655 km.
It also maintained 60 per cent of the paved road network and 40 per cent of the unpaved road network by putting them under routine maintenance.
However, the authority said challenges relating to staffing, funding and rising pending bills affected their performance.
The Strategic Plan proposes effective development and maintenance of road infrastructure that will promote intra-country linkages and also strengthen production and distribution networks.
The Authority will construct Isiolo – Mandera, Barpello – Marichpass, Marsabit – Segel - Maikona roads, which will provide access and link the ASAL regions which are livestock production zones to critical markets.
Mau Mau roads, Chemelil - Awasi – Katito, Sagana – Marua, Thika – Magumu, and Isebania - Kisii - Ahero roads that link agricultural zones to markets will also be prioritised.
The capacity of Kwa Jomvu-Mariakani, Mombasa–Mtwapa, Outer Ring Junction- Kamulu- Komarock roads and dual Eldoret and Meru town will also be improved to enhance the movement of goods and services.