Chinese SRBG to Build $389 Million Mzima II Water Pipeline for Kenya’s Coast

Sichuan Roads and Bridges Group will develop a 220‑km, 105 million‑litre‑per‑day pipeline linking Mzima Springs to Kilifi, pending final clearance under a 30‑year BOT concession.

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State‑owned Sichuan Roads and Bridges Group (SRBG) has been identified as the private developer for Kenya’s proposed Mzima II water supply pipeline, a project valued at roughly KES 50.6 billion (US$389 million).

The 220‑kilometre pipeline will convey water from the Mzima Springs in Taita Taveta County to storage facilities at Mazeras in Kilifi County, serving the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Taita Taveta.

Designed with a 1,200 mm diameter, the line will have a capacity of 105,000 cubic metres per day – equivalent to 105 million litres of water daily – to augment the ageing Mzima I system.

The scope includes intake facilities at Mzima Springs, bulk transmission mains, pumping stations, storage reservoirs and connections to downstream distribution networks, addressing leaks and bursts that have plagued the older pipeline.

The project will be delivered under a build‑operate‑transfer (BOT) arrangement between SRBG and the Coast Water Works Development Authority, with a 30‑year concession that allocates three years for construction followed by 27 years of operation and maintenance.

According to the National Treasury’s Public‑Private Partnership Directorate, the pipeline remains in the development and feasibility‑study phase, and final construction clearance has not yet been granted.