Top Construction & Works Tenders in Kenya You Can Apply for Right Now (2026)

Kenya's construction market is one of the most active in sub-Saharan Africa. Between the government's ambitious infrastructure programme, 47 county development budgets, and billions in World Bank and AfDB-funded projects, the volume of works tenders is staggering — and growing year on year. Whether you are an NCA-registered civil contractor, a building construction firm, or a specialised sub-contractor, there is an active pipeline of opportunities right now.

This roundup covers the biggest buying organisations, the types of contracts most frequently in the market, current contract value ranges, and exactly where to find and apply for each.

1. Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) — Major Road Rehabilitation

KeNHA manages Kenya's 11,000+ km of international trunk roads and is consistently one of the highest-volume procurement entities in the country. In 2025/2026, KeNHA is procuring road rehabilitation, periodic maintenance, and emergency repairs across its network, with a significant focus on the Northern Corridor (Mombasa–Nairobi–Malaba), the Southern Bypass extensions, and roads linking Kenya to Uganda and Tanzania.

• Typical contract values: KSh 200 million to KSh 5 billion+
• NCA grade required: NCA Grade 5 minimum for major works; NCA Grade 7–8 for smaller maintenance contracts
• Where to apply: tenders.go.ke (search 'KeNHA') and kenha.go.ke/tenders
• Tip: KeNHA tenders require a strong equipment list, NCA registration, and demonstrated experience in equivalent-scale road works

2. Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) — Urban Road Improvement

KURA manages roads within cities and municipalities outside Nairobi. With Kenya's urban population growing at 4% annually, KURA has a continuous pipeline of road upgrading, drainage, and footpath construction tenders across Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Thika, and other urban centres.

• Typical contract values: KSh 10 million to KSh 500 million
• Key current programme: Urban Roads Improvement Programme (URIP) — ongoing
• NCA grade required: NCA Grade 6–8 depending on contract value
• Where to apply: kura.go.ke and tenders.go.ke

3. Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) — Rural Connectivity

KeRRA manages 107,000+ km of rural roads and publishes some of the highest-volume tender notices of any Kenyan government agency. Critically, KeRRA specifically sets aside contracts for youth and women-owned contractors under its AGPO programme, making this one of the most accessible entry points for new construction businesses.

• Typical contract values: KSh 5 million to KSh 150 million
• AGPO opportunities: KeRRA actively reserves works contracts for AGPO-certified contractors — frequently tendered at county level
• Where to apply: kerra.go.ke and tenders.go.ke

KeRRA is the single best entry point for NCA-registered youth and women contractors. The AGPO-reserved works contracts have significantly less competition than open tenders.

4. County Governments — Building Construction & Local Infrastructure

Kenya's 47 county governments collectively manage over KSh 400 billion in annual budgets, a significant portion of which goes to construction: county headquarters, health facilities, markets, school buildings, dams, and local road improvement. Each county publishes tenders independently, creating 47 separate procurement markets.

• Most active county construction buyers (by budget size): Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Kiambu, Machakos, Meru, Kakamega, Uasin Gishu
• Recurring county tender categories: Supply and construction of health facilities (Level 4 hospital upgrades), ECD and primary school classrooms, county road maintenance, water and sanitation works, market construction
• Where to apply: Individual county procurement portals and tenders.go.ke
• Advantage for local contractors: Several counties give preference to suppliers registered and operating within the county — an advantage no Nairobi-based firm can overcome

5. Ministry of Health — Hospital Construction & Infrastructure

The government's Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda is driving a massive wave of health facility construction. Level 4 hospitals are being upgraded in dozens of counties, while new Level 5 and specialist facilities are being built in key urban centres.

• Current pipeline: Theatre equipment installation, ICU construction, renal units, Level 4 hospital upgrade packages
• Notable recent tenders: Theatre medical equipment for Syokimau Level 4 Hospital (Machakos), Chuka County Referral Hospital equipment, and similar county hospital packages
• Typical contract values: KSh 20 million to KSh 2 billion for construction; KSh 5–500 million for equipment supply
• Where to find: health.go.ke/tenders and tenders.go.ke filtered by 'Ministry of Health'

6. Ministry of Education — School Infrastructure

The Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) transition requires significant new school infrastructure: Junior Secondary School (JSS) buildings in every primary school, laboratory upgrades, and ICT labs. This is generating a nationwide wave of school building tenders at both national and county levels.

• Primary buyers: Ministry of Education (National Government CDF), NG-CDF (National Government Constituencies Development Fund), individual school boards
• Typical contract values: KSh 3 million to KSh 80 million
• Requirement: NCA Grade 6–8 registration, local presence often preferred

7. World Bank & AfDB-Funded Infrastructure Projects

Kenya receives approximately US$2 billion annually in development finance, much of which is channelled into infrastructure procurement. These projects follow International Competitive Bidding (ICB) rules but also set aside contracts for local firms under local preference provisions.

• Active projects: Kenya Accountable Devolution Program (KADP), Kenya COVID-19 Emergency Response, KSHIP (Kenya Secondary Towns Improvement Program), Urban Water and Sanitation projects
• How to find: projects.worldbank.org → Kenya → Procurement Notices
• Key requirement: ITAS registration for World Bank funded tenders, environmental and social compliance

How to Position Your Construction Business for More Wins

The contractors that consistently win across these categories share a few characteristics:

1. NCA registration at the appropriate grade — this is non-negotiable and determines which contracts you can legally bid on
2. A well-maintained equipment list — excavators, graders, compactors, trucks — with ownership or verifiable lease agreements
3. Strong reference contracts: at least 3 completed similar works with completion certificates
4. Current AGPO certification if you qualify — it halves your competition on reserved contracts
5. A system for tracking tender notices across all the portals above — TenderHQ monitors all of them simultaneously and alerts you when matching contracts are published