Kenya’s six-lane highway from Nairobi to Mombasa highway project
At the US-Africa Business Forum in New York Elizabeth Littlefield, head of the US Government’s Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and California-based construction and engineering firm Bechtel have signed a letter of interest in the construction of Kenya’s Six-Lane highway that is the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway Project.
Bechtel is one of the largest engineering and construction companies in the world with a turnover of about US$32 billion per year. They are currently involved in looking at the financial aspects of the project and the US Export Import Bank is pushing Bechtel to secure an investment for the 485 kilometre project.
The project is needed to boost the struggling transport links between Kenya’s main sea port of Mombasa and cities throughout East Africa.
Andrew Patterson, Bechtel’s regional president for Africa said “With the support of the US government agencies such as OPIC and the Export-Import Bank, we can provide solutions to move this critical project forward quickly with a high standard of quality and safety.”
USA Opens regional office in Nairobi
The US Obama Administration’s has lobbied to help Bechtel secure the contract to build the highway. The Agency has recently opened regional headquarters in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital to facilitate US business interests in infrastructure development in the region.
The Kenyan Ministry of Transport has announced the tender and the cost to the government of about US$14 million.
