Kenya National Highways Authority

What Kenya National Highways Authority does

Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) is a Kenyan State Corporation established under the Kenya Roads Act of 2007 and inaugurated in September 2008, serving as the sole statutory body responsible for the management, development, rehabilitation, and maintenance of the country's national trunk road network. The network spans approximately 21,583 km across three classifications: Class S highways (40 km), Class A strategic routes connecting international boundaries, airports, and seaports (6,830 km), and Class B routes linking trading hubs and county headquarters (14,713 km). KeNHA operates from headquarters in Nairobi with ten regional offices across Kenya and dedicated corridor management offices, delivering direct service to government, motorists, commercial transporters, and the cross-border transit trade serving landlocked South Sudan and Ethiopia via Mombasa Port.

The service portfolio spans four maintenance tiers (Performance Based Maintenance, Periodic Maintenance, Routine Maintenance and Spot Improvement, and Stage Improvements) plus ongoing development projects (Mwache Junction-Tsunza-Mteza, Mombasa-Mtwapa-Kilifi dual carriageway, Athi River-Machakos Turnoff second carriageway, Mombasa-Mariakani dualling, Kenol-Sagana-Marua). Operational technology centers on the KeNHA Geo Portal (GIS-based road network management), the internal KeNHAVATE asset management system, and an axle load control system protecting infrastructure from overloading. KeNHA holds ISO 9001:2015 (recertified September 2018) and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certifications.

Revenue mechanics combine public and private flows: government development votes and the Road Maintenance Levy Fund cover operations and routine maintenance; multilateral and bilateral lenders (African Development Bank, China ExIm Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency) co-finance capital projects; toll concessions (including a 28-year toll concession for the $1.5B Mombasa-Nairobi highway expansion with CRBC and Shandong Hi-Speed) generate transactional revenue; axle load exemption permits and road use permits produce ancillary fee income. The authority sells services via direct government procurement tenders, an online self-service permits portal, and performance-based maintenance contracts with private contractors across Corridors A through D and all regions.

Name

Kenya National Highways Authority

Legal name

Kenya National Highways Authority

Website

https://kenha.co.ke

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Kenya National Highways Authority is a Kenyan State Corporation that manages the development, rehabilitation, and maintenance of the country's 21,583 km national trunk road network, serving motorists, commercial transport operators, and cross-border transit trade via government appropriations, multilateral financing, and toll concessions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Highway Infrastructure Management

NAICS

Support Activities for Transportation (488)

akta.pro primary industry

Road & Highway Authorities (Planning, Construction, Maintenance) (BPAIALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Managed Services & Operations Outsourcing for Tolling/RUC Programs (TLAJABAL), Pavement & Surface Asset Management (Resurfacing, Markings, Pothole Repair) (TLAJAAAD), Roadside Vegetation & Right-of-Way (ROW) Management (TLAJAAAG), Roadside Drainage, Stormwater & Erosion Control Maintenance (TLAJAAAE), Emergency Traffic Control & Scene Management (Lane Closures, Detours, TTC) (TLAJAJAG)

Keywords

• National highway management
• Trunk road development
• Road maintenance services
• Toll road operations
• Highway infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Toll Road Operations: Revenue generated from toll concessions including the Nairobi Expressway (Mombasa-Nairobi) and other toll points, with a 28-year toll concession model for the $1.5 billion highway expansion project
2. Government Development Funding: Funding through Road Maintenance Levy Fund and Government Development Votes for road maintenance and construction projects
3. International Development Financing: Financing from African Development Bank (AfDB), China ExIm Bank, and other international lenders for major infrastructure projects, structured as 75% debt and 25% equity
4. Permit and Fee Revenue: Revenue from axle load control exemptions, road use permits, and related administrative fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KeNHA manages the development, rehabilitation, and maintenance of Kenya's national trunk roads (Class S, A, and B), totaling approximately 21,583 km that connect cities, international boundaries, ports, and economic hubs. The authority delivers this through competitive procurement of construction and maintenance contracts, axle load enforcement on heavy vehicles, toll road concessions (e.g., Nairobi Expressway), and supporting services such as online highway permits, incident reporting, and a customer feedback system.

Product overview

Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) operates as a unified infrastructure management platform providing comprehensive national trunk roads services rather than a traditional software product. The core offering encompasses the management, development, rehabilitation, and maintenance of approximately 21,583 kilometers of national trunk roads classified as Class S (40 km), Class A (6,830 km), and Class B (14,713 km). The service portfolio includes ongoing road development projects (Mwache-Tsunza-Mteza, Mombasa-Mtwapa-Kilifi, Athi River-Machakos), multiple maintenance tiers (Performance Based Maintenance PBC, Periodic Maintenance PM, Routine Maintenance RM&SI, Stage Improvements SI), planned highway projects (Mombasa Nairobi Expressway, Great North Road Connection), and supporting services (Axle Load Control, Incident Reporting, Permits Portal, Tender Management, Annuity Projects). The organization also operates internal tools including KeNHA Geo Portal for spatial data management and KeNHAVATE for internal operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Trunk Roads Management and Maintenance Core statutory service covering the management, development, rehabilitation, and maintenance of approximately 21,583 km of national trunk roads (Class S highways connecting cities, Class A strategic routes connecting international boundaries/ports/airports, Class B important national routes linking trading hubs and county headquarters). Delivered through Performance-Based Maintenance, Periodic Maintenance, Routine Maintenance and Spot Improvement, and Stage Improvements contracting tiers across corridors A, B, C and ten regional networks.
• Ongoing Road Development Projects Active infrastructure development projects including Mwache Junction-Tsunza-Mteza (Mombasa Port Area Development), Mombasa-Mtwapa-Kilifi dual carriageway, Athi River-Machakos Turnoff second carriageway, Naivasha-Njabini road, Mombasa-Mariakani Highway dualling, Kainuk Bridge, and Kenol-Sagana-Marua Highway improvement. Awarded through competitive public procurement to contractors.
• Toll Road Operations (Nairobi Expressway and Toll Concessions) Operation of tolled highways including the Nairobi Expressway (Mombasa-Nairobi corridor) under a 28-year toll concession model. Generates operational revenue through transaction-based toll fees paid by motorists, with a $1.5 billion highway expansion project upgrading 233 km of single-lane highway to multi-lane dual-carriageways jointly financed by CRBC and Shandong Hi-Speed (75% debt / 25% equity).
• Axle Load Control Services Weight control services for heavy vehicles on national highways including exemption permit processing and compliance monitoring through a network of weigh bridges managed by KeNHA. Protects road infrastructure from damage by overloaded vehicles and is supported by the Axle Load Control System technology.
• Highway Permits Portal Online self-service portal for processing and managing permits related to national highways including overweight vehicle permits, axle load exemptions, and construction access permits. Serves heavy vehicle operators and contractors needing approvals to use national trunk roads.
• Public Tender Management and E-Procurement Public procurement platform publishing tenders for goods, services, works (maintenance and development), consultancy services, and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects. Includes prequalification and supplier registration for prospective bidders on KeNHA infrastructure contracts.
• Annuity PPP Road Projects Public-Private Partnership (PPP) annuity-based road projects for long-term highway maintenance and operation under toll concession models. Includes concession financing structures combining government equity and private debt.
• Road Incident Reporting and Customer Feedback Service Customer service for reporting road incidents, providing feedback, and lodging complaints regarding national highway conditions and services. Includes dedicated email channels ([email protected]) and online forms supporting 24/7 incident response on national trunk roads.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJICA partners with KeNHA through the Directorate of Highway Planning and Design for capacity building programs. Projects include Bridge Management System (BMS) training and the Mombasa Gate Bridge Detail Design Study. First phase training held March 2021 focusing on cable-stayed bridge construction.
• Weigh Bridge OperatorsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKeNHA manages all weigh bridge installations across Kenya to enforce axle load limits and protect road infrastructure from damage by overloaded vehicles.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL): South Africa's national roads agency managing toll and non-toll national routes under a statutory mandate with toll concessions, PPPs, and government funding. Directly comparable to KeNHA on mandate, tolling model, and PPP-based expansion.
• National Highways Authority of India (NHAI): Statutory national highways authority in India responsible for development, maintenance and management of the country's primary road network via public funding and toll-based PPPs. Highly comparable to KeNHA as a government road authority executing multi-billion-dollar expansion programs financed by multilateral lenders and PPP concessions.
• National Highways (United Kingdom): Government-owned company operating, maintaining and improving England's motorways and major A-roads using statutory powers, government funding and a sophisticated asset-management regime. Comparable to KeNHA on mandate, performance-based contracts and ISO-grade operating standards.

Others

• African Development Bank (AfDB): Multilateral development bank that co-finances African road infrastructure including KeNHA projects such as the Kenol-Sagana-Marua and Mombasa-Mariakani highways. Included as an upstream capital provider shaping KeNHA's project pipeline and standards.
• China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC): Chinese state-owned EPC contractor and concessionaire delivering overseas highway projects financed by Exim Bank, including KeNHA's $1.5 billion 233 km expressway expansion. Comparable as a counterparty and executor of the same highway model rather than as a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS): Statutory body managing Tanzania's trunk road network on behalf of government, financed through development votes, fuel levy funds, and multilateral lenders. Direct regional peer to KeNHA with similar legal structure, donor financing mix, and East African trade-corridor focus.
• Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA): Uganda's statutory national roads authority managing development, maintenance and axle-load control of trunk roads, funded by government and development partners. Direct regional peer to KeNHA in mandate, scale and financing model.
• Ghana Highway Authority: State body responsible for the administration, management and development of trunk roads in Ghana, including axle load control and performance-based maintenance. Comparable to KeNHA as an Anglophone African highway authority with similar funding sources and regulatory scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kenhakenya
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQg9A2xFJhSwLrD4oFwpAJg/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/KeNHAKenya1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kenya-national-highways-authority

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Kenya National Highways Authority