The Kenya Government recognises the importance of infrastructure in spurring economic development and as a key component of a sound business environment. It also contributes to poverty reduction through employment and wealth creation by facilitating mobility of people, goods and services.
The road transport system carries over 96% of freight and passenger traffic, thereby increasing the demand for an efficient road network. It is expected that road transport will continue to be dominant. Successful transition to Vision 2030 calls for an efficient and effective infrastructure to enhance accessibility to transport, telecommunications, energy, water, sewerage, sanitation and metrological services. There are about 177,800 kilometres of road network, out of which 63,575 kilometres are classified.
The roads traverse rich and expansive agricultural lands that produce tea, coffee, milk and flowers and vast national reserves with rare species of plants and animals that provide enormous potential investment in tourism and hospitality industry.
The Northern Corridor is the country’s primary transport artery with the highest transport activities. It runs from the seaport of Mombasa and connects Kenya to Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Ethiopia. It also interconnects the industrial towns of Mombasa, Nairobi, Thika, Nakuru, Kisumu and Eldoret.
During the implementation period of the Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation 2003-2007 (ERS), 29 road projects, covering over 3,000 km, were completed at an estimated cost of Sh 50 billion. Another 60 projects, comprising about 4,000 km at a cost of Sh 80 billion, are ongoing and in various stages of completion. In addition, there are ongoing road works in various local authorities.
A deliberate effort has been made to ease the Nairobi city’s traffic congestion by constructing the Nairobi-Thika highway and opening up the Northern, Southern and Eastern bypasses and several interconnecting links within the city. Other bypasses are planned for Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret to allow vehicles avoid the Central Business District.
There are also labour-based road works going on, implemented through the Roads 2000 Programme. The objectives of the Programme are to open up rural areas to allow delivery of farm produce to markets and encourage investment in agro-based processing to create employment.
Vision 2030 Flagship Projects
A number of projects have been identified and earmarked for construction and rehabilitation during Vision 2030, Kenya’s blue print to achieve a middle in-come, industrialised state by 2030.
One of the strategies for achieving the Vision is by improving regional connectivity. The projects, aimed at enhancing connectivity, include the development of a new transport corridor from Lamu port to Southern Sudan and Ethiopia, Athi River-Namanga into Tanzania and Isiolo-Moyale road connecting Kenya to Ethiopia, among others.
Other projects include development of a computerised information management system to manage road development and maintenance and monitoring operations at weigh bridges. It also involves establishment of a rapid bus transit system within the Nairobi Metropolitan region.
Strategic Plan
Legal and institutional reforms have been initiated, culminating in the Kenya Roads Act 2007 as well as the Roads Sector Investment Programme and Strategy. The Programme is designed to modernise the roads network at a cost of Sh 1.8 trillion.
The Roads Sector Investment Program and Strategy identifies activities that will provide efficient road transport. These include construction and rehabilitation of roads, concessioning of sections of the Mombasa-Malaba highway and conversion to dual carriage-way, rehabilitation of rural access roads, development of roads under the East African Road Network project, construction of by-passes in Nairobi and Mombasa, strengthening Kenya Roads Board and reclassifying existing roads.
The aim of the Ministry, in the medium term, is to improve both quality and quantity of existing facilities to generate more economic growth. In the long run, the aim is to provide an enabling environment for physical infrastructure facilities, geared towards vibrant agricultural and industrial growth. This is expected to contribute significantly towards the current Government’s policy, as recognised in Vision 2030’s economic pillar.
The sector aims at improving the quality and quantity of existing facilities in order to contribute to sustained economic growth, projected to be over 10 per cent per annum by 2012.
This will provide necessary support to the six key sectors which have been prioritised to drive the Kenyan economy towards achieving the Kenya Vision 2030 goals. The 2030 Vision envisages a country firmly interconnected through a network of roads, railways, ports, airports, water ways and telecommunications.
Three Roads Authorities; The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA, The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and The Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERA) are tasked with the responsibility of implementing all the strategies, programmes and projects prioritised in the RSIP.