Chinese firm wins contract to repair key road in Kenya

NAIROBI - A Chinese construction firm on Wednesday won a contract to carry out a major road renovation project in Western Kenya.

Kenya's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure contracted Jiangxi Zhongmei Engineering Construction Company to repair the 40km Kakamega-Webuye road in the west of the country, at a cost of $50 million.

Principal Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Engineer John Mosonik told journalists in Nairobi the project will commence soon and will take 24 months to complete.

The project works comprise of rehabilitation and widening of the existing road, construction of a second carriageway in the first 5km, and construction of service roads, access roads and market loops.

Mosonik invited Chinese firms to bid for projects in the country owing to their acclaimed workmanship which has seen them win tenders to undertake construction ventures in Kenya.

The General Manager of Jiangxi Provincial Express Investment Group Co Ltd, Ren Donghong said the company has the capability and the capacity to undertake the project.

"We have done over 4,000km of roads in China and we will vie for more tenders as and when opportunities arise. The signing ceremony is a good starting point for Jiangxi to start undertaking projects in Kenya," she said.

Mosonik said the project, which is expected to last for about 30 years before quality sustainment is carried out, will be financed 75 percent by the Kenyan government and 25 percent by the World Bank.

The East Africa nation plans to host an investor's conference in November for construction firms interested in Kenyan projects to learn about the pending projects and vie for bids.