China Eximbank provides KES 2 billion loan for Eastern Bypass Road Project

Project narrative

On September 28, 2021, China Eximbank and the Government of Kenya signed a loan agreement worth approximately KES 2 billion for the Eastern Bypass Road Project. The borrowing terms of the loan are unknown. It is known that the borrower is expected to used the proceeds of the loan to finance a KES 12.5 billion commercial contract with China Communication Construction Company Limited. The purpose of the project is to expand Nairobi’s existing 32 km Eastern Bypass into a dual carriageway. The road starts at the junction of the Nairobi–Mombasa Road and Airport North Road, in Embakasi, immediately west of Nairobi International Airport, approximately 12 kilometers (7 mi) south-east of the city center. The road then loops through the south-eastern suburbs of Nairobi, skirting the northern edges of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, through Ruai. The road then crosses from Nairobi County, into Kiambu County and then turns westwards, passes underneath the Thika Highway and ends at the Ruiru Kamiti Road, at a place called Ruiru Road Junction. The ultimate objective of the project is ease traffic pressures on a key road that links motorists from the busy Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Mombasa-Nairobi highway to Thika Superhighway, bypassing the congested central business district. China Communication Construction Company Limited is the contractor responsible for implementation. Construction commenced on or around November 17, 2021. The project was originally scheduled for completion by June 2022. However, as of April 2022, the project had only achieved a 45% completion rate. The project was officially commissioned on July 31, 2022. However, as of August 2022, the project had only achieved an 86% completion rate and its final completion date was pushed backed to January 15, 2023.