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NAIROBI, Kenya — Motorists using the Nairobi Expressway paid nearly KSh3.9 billion in toll charges during the first six months of 2026, generating higher revenues for the Chinese operator as earnings from the highway increased by 7.3 percent year-on-year.

New financial disclosures by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the parent company of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), show that the Nairobi Expressway generated RMB204 million in operating revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2026.

This compares with RMB190 million recorded during the same period in 2025.

Based on the figures, revenue from the Kenyan highway increased from approximately KSh3.6 billion to KSh3.9 billion over the one-year period.

The latest figures offer a rare insight into the financial performance of one of Kenya’s most prominent public-private partnership infrastructure projects.

Nairobi Expressway Revenue Continues to Grow

The 27-kilometre Nairobi Expressway was constructed by CRBC above sections of Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway.

The toll road runs between Mlolongo and Westlands, providing motorists with an alternative route through some of Nairobi’s most congested transport corridors.

The latest financial disclosure indicates that demand for the expressway remained strong during the first half of 2026, despite continued debate among motorists over toll charges.

The road has become particularly important for motorists travelling between the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport area, Nairobi’s central business district and the western suburbs.

However, while CCCC disclosed the project’s operating revenue, it did not provide specific figures for traffic volumes, operating expenses or net profit generated by the Nairobi Expressway.

As a result, the increase in revenue does not necessarily translate directly into an equivalent increase in profit for the operator.

Chinese Company Has Billions Invested in Project

According to the CCCC report, investment in the Nairobi Expressway had reached approximately RMB4.681 billion by the end of June 2026.

The project operates under a 27-year concession agreement, with approximately 4.1 years already completed.

Under the public-private partnership arrangement with the Kenyan government, the private operator is expected to recover its investment through toll collections during the concession period before the infrastructure is eventually handed back to the State.

The arrangement was designed to enable Kenya to develop major infrastructure without having to finance the entire construction cost upfront through the national budget.

Nairobi Expressway Part of Global Concession Portfolio

The Nairobi Expressway is also part of CCCC’s extensive global portfolio of infrastructure concession projects.

CCCC reported that its operating concession projects collectively generated approximately KSh74.8 billion in revenue during the first six months of 2026.

The Nairobi Expressway contributed about KSh3.9 billion to that total.

However, the company’s wider concession portfolio recorded a net loss of approximately KSh18.4 billion during the period.

CCCC did not provide a project-by-project breakdown showing whether the Nairobi Expressway itself generated a profit or loss.

For comparison, the company’s previous filing showed that its concession portfolio generated approximately KSh79.7 billion in revenue, with the Nairobi Expressway contributing around KSh3.6 billion.

Moja Expressway Operates the Road

The Nairobi Expressway is operated by Moja Expressway Company, a subsidiary of CRBC established to manage the highway under the concession agreement.

Since opening to motorists, the road has significantly changed travel patterns along one of Nairobi’s busiest transport corridors.

For motorists willing to pay the toll, the expressway can provide a faster alternative to ground-level roads, particularly during peak traffic periods.

The project has also become an important test of Kenya’s public-private partnership model and whether large infrastructure investments can generate sufficient returns through user charges.

Motorists Continue to Question Toll Charges

Despite the growth in revenue, the Nairobi Expressway continues to face criticism from some motorists over the cost of using the road.

Periodic changes to toll tariffs have generated debate, with some users arguing that charges are too high for regular commuters.

The operator, meanwhile, must recover the substantial investment made in constructing and operating the highway over the 27-year concession period.

The financial disclosures also leave questions about the project’s actual profitability.

While revenue has increased, the publicly disclosed figures do not provide a detailed breakdown of operating costs, financing expenses and net profit specifically attributable to the Nairobi Expressway.

What the Latest Figures Mean

The 7.3 percent increase in revenue shows that the Nairobi Expressway continues to attract significant numbers of paying motorists.

For Kenya, the growing earnings highlight the commercial potential of toll-road infrastructure under public-private partnership arrangements.

For the Chinese operator, the project remains an important long-term investment, with billions of shillings already generated through toll collections.

The bigger question, however, is how much of the revenue ultimately remains as profit after accounting for operating costs, financing and the recovery of the original investment.

As the concession progresses, greater transparency around traffic volumes, costs, profits and the eventual handover arrangement will be important in assessing the overall value of the Nairobi Expressway to Kenya.

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