US Denies Stopping Sh300 Billion Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway

The United States says it has not withdrawn its support for the proposed Sh300 billion Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway.

Responding to media reports claiming that the US had stopped the project, the US Embassy in Nairobi said Ambassador Kyle McCarter was misquoted about his country’s position on the multi-billion-shilling highway.

“This was incorrect. The correct position is that the US government still supports this project which is a public-private partnership and we did not announce any such suspension,” said a US embassy spokeswoman as quoted by Daily Nation.
 
The embassy further clarified that the project would be undertaken under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

In an interview with Daily Nation on Monday, Ambassador McCarter was quoted saying that the US had delayed the project over concerns on Kenya’s ballooning public debt, which recently crossed the Sh6 trillion mark (63 percent of the GDP).

“Kenya has hit a debt ceiling… the onus is on Kenya to put its debt in order. We don’t want to put the debt on Kenyans. We want to do business in a transparent and ethical way,” said McCarter.

“This will be a signature project. The cost will be lower and it will be a good road — even for security purposes.”

“Bechtel [the company that was given the contract] and the US government have remained fully engaged with the government of Kenya and we continue to follow up on President Trump’s and President Kenyatta’s commitment to make the project a reality,” said McCarter.