The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has invited consultancy firms to express interest in offering professional services for the construction of the 749-kilometre Isiolo–Mandera highway, one of the largest infrastructure projects in Northern Kenya.
In a notice issued on Tuesday, August 26, the Authority revealed that it had received financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and intends to channel part of the funds towards hiring a qualified consultancy firm. The firm will be tasked with carrying out a comprehensive assessment of the highway’s potential to improve regional connectivity and trade facilitation.
According to KeNHA, the consultancy services will cover traffic and trade flow assessments, baseline data collection along the corridor, and recommendations to enhance cross-border commerce. Additional tasks include an analysis of non-tariff barriers as well as institutional, policy, and regulatory frameworks that could influence the project’s success.
The assignment, expected to last 12 months, will require firms with at least eight years of experience in fields such as transportation engineering, transportation economics, transportation planning, and the multilateral trading system. Interested firms must also demonstrate a track record of successfully delivering similar assignments.
“KeNHA, being the implementing agency of the Government of the Republic of Kenya, now invites eligible consulting firms to indicate their interest in providing the above services,” the Authority stated in its notice.
The shortlisting and selection of firms will be conducted under the African Development Bank’s Procurement Policy for Bank Group Funded Operations. Expressions of interest must be submitted in written form, clearly marked with the assignment title and tender number, and deposited at KeNHA Headquarters in Nairobi.
The Isiolo–Mandera highway is part of the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project, a flagship initiative designed to boost trade, integration, and connectivity between Northern Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Construction of the Ksh85 billion project commenced in May, with funding support also drawn from the World Bank.
Once completed, the highway is expected to transform Northern Kenya’s economy by opening up remote counties, easing movement of goods and people, and fostering stronger regional trade ties across the Horn of Africa.
