The government is planning to construct more expressways along key transport corridors to ease rising traffic congestion and spur both local and foreign investment.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), the State agency tasked with developing and managing major roads, is recruiting a consultant to develop a master plan for an expressway network, setting the stage for large-scale construction across the country.
“Major road corridors, including the Northern Corridor and routes connecting Nairobi to Central and Eastern Kenya, are increasingly congested, impeding efficient movement,” KeNHA said in a disclosure.
“The government recognises the significant impact that inadequate infrastructure has on economic growth and poverty reduction. It has already begun to observe how infrastructure bottlenecks are hindering both foreign and domestic investment,” the agency added.
Expressways are high-capacity roads designed to allow vehicles to travel quickly and efficiently over long distances with minimal interruptions. They are built to handle large volumes of traffic at relatively high speeds and often involve tolling.
KeNHA said the consultant will review major highways and corridors to assess current traffic and future demand, and identify those that can be designated as expressways or upgraded to expressway standards.
This, the agency said, will help ease a key bottleneck in Kenya’s efforts to accelerate economic growth and reduce poverty by improving traffic flow along major transport routes.
The consultant will also explore the establishment of an Expressways Authority to oversee the development and management of the roads.
Currently, Kenya has only one operational expressway – the 27-kilometre Nairobi Expressway, running from Mlolongo to Westlands.
Pipeline projects
The State has initiated the development of the 236-kilometre Rironi–Mau Summit toll road, expected to become the country’s second expressway-standard highway under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
China Road and Bridge Corporation and the National Social Security Fund have already begun work on the section from Rironi through Nakuru to Mau Summit.
Tendering for the proposed Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway has also begun, although no contractor has been appointed. Once completed, it is set to be the country’s longest expressway.
Kenya is also preparing for the construction of a dual toll highway through Eldoret to the Uganda border to ease cross-border movement.
A consortium of Canadian and Kenyan firms has begun pre-feasibility studies to expand the 243-kilometre Mau Summit–Eldoret–Malaba highway from two to four lanes under a PPP model, with funding from the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
A work plan shows the project will link to the Sh170 billion Rironi–Mau Summit dual highway, marking a shift from the earlier plan to extend the corridor towards Kisumu–Busia–Malaba.
The Mau Summit–Eldoret–Malaba section, part of the Northern Corridor, currently experiences heavy traffic and frequent accidents.
“The study, funded by AIIB, will provide preliminary technical, economic, environmental and social assessments, financial modelling, and transaction design necessary to prepare the project for private sector participation,” said Edwin Seda, Director General of the PPP Unit, in February.
“The proposed upgrade will expand the road to dual carriageway standards, enhance road safety, improve traffic flow through intelligent transport systems, and incorporate climate-resilient design features to ensure long-term reliability and sustainability of the corridor,” he added.
