On May 31, 2026, Ruto announced the restart of the 157 kilometer road project from Modo Gashe to Wajir, which had been suspended for many years. The World Bank's $550 million financing has been secured and the bidding for July is imminent.

The announcement by Ruto in the town of Habaswiyin in Wajil County essentially opened a clear time window for Chinese enterprises. This 157 kilometer highway -67 kilometers from Modo Gashe to Samatar and 90 kilometers from Samatar to Wajir - is located in the Isiolo Mandela transportation corridor. In March 2026, the World Bank approved $550 million in financing from the International Development Association to upgrade 508 kilometers of the 740 kilometer corridor and simultaneously construct approximately 1270 kilometers of high-capacity fiber optic. The integration of highways and digital infrastructure has been promoted, and the project has been upgraded from local transportation engineering to regional trade and border governance engineering.

July is the real milestone

The timetable given by Ruto is very clear: stakeholder consultations will begin in June, competitive bidding and procurement will begin in July, and the President will return to work in August. For contractors, material suppliers, construction machinery, and camp supporting enterprises, July is the month to focus on. The procurement pace is likely to be advanced, and the funding rules are approaching the World Bank system, which means that the projects in northern Kenya will be more stringent in terms of safety, environmental protection, land acquisition, and payment terms.

It's not just a road

The World Bank has integrated highways and fiber optics into the same framework, with the intention of simultaneously connecting trade channels and digital connectivity in the Northern Corridor. If Chinese enterprises want to enter, they need to adapt to the World Bank's compliance system, especially in terms of environmental and social assessments and land acquisition standards, they cannot afford to fall behind, and payment terms also require stronger funding capacity. Keywords: Northern Corridor Highway, Transportation

The value of this project to Chinese enterprises is not only in the 157 kilometer project volume, but also in that it marks the official entry of infrastructure in northern Kenya into the international financing driven stage. Enterprises that have completed qualification and scheme preparation before the bidding in July will have a clear first mover advantage.Editor/Cheng Liting