Arusha. The long-anticipated Kenya–Uganda Multinational Expressway project, stretching approximately 193 kilometres, is now ready for investment following confirmation of its technical and economic feasibility.
The announcement was made on Tuesday during a Market Sounding Conference held in Kampala, Uganda, which brought together government leaders, development financiers and private sector representatives.
The expressway, covering the Kisumu–Kisian–Busia and Kakira–Malaba–Busitema sections, has been identified as a flagship infrastructure priority for the East African region and is expected to significantly boost connectivity, trade and regional integration.
In 2023, the African Development Bank (AfDB), through its New Partnership for Africa’s Development Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (NEPAD-IPPF), approved a $1.4 million grant to the East African Community (EAC) to finance feasibility studies for the project.
The expressway forms a critical part of the Northern Corridor, linking the port of Mombasa to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan — handling the majority of cargo transported through Indian Ocean ports to inland EAC partner states.
Currently, sections of the corridor consist of dual and single carriageways that experience severe congestion due to growing freight and passenger traffic, resulting in long travel times and higher transport costs.
Upgrading the route to expressway standards aims to reduce these inefficiencies, improve safety and enhance trade competitiveness across the region.
The feasibility study recommends major upgrades on both sides of the border. In Uganda, a 60-kilometre greenfield expressway will be constructed between Jinja and Busesa through a Public–Private Partnership (PPP), alongside the dualling of the Busesa–Malaba and Busitema–Busia sections.
In Kenya, works will include dualling of the Kisumu Bypass and upgrading the Kimaeti–Lwakhakha road to bitumen standards.
Additionally, the One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) at Busia and Malaba will be rehabilitated to improve customs clearance and trade efficiency.
These interventions are expected to stimulate regional investment, open new economic opportunities and reinforce East Africa’s commitment to seamless cross-border mobility.
Speaking at the Kampala forum, Uganda’s Minister for Works and Transport, Katumba Wamala, underscored the expressway’s significance to Uganda’s transport vision and the Great Lakes Region.
“The Northern Corridor is our main commercial artery linking Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the DRC and South Sudan to the port of Mombasa.
This expressway aligns with Uganda’s Vision 2040, which seeks to modernise the country’s road network to world-class standards. The active participation of the private sector through PPPs will be crucial,” he said.
EAC Deputy Secretary-General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, said the project will contribute significantly to regional growth, revenue and trade facilitation.
In the first quarter of 2025, the EAC recorded a $0.8 billion trade surplus, a sharp turnaround from the $4.0 billion deficit during the same period in 2024. Exports surged by 47.3 percent to $17.7 billion, while imports grew modestly by 4.6 percent to $16.8 billion.
Analysts project that total EAC trade will rise to nearly $28 billion by the end of 2025 and reach about $34 billion by 2030 — driven largely by improved transport and logistics infrastructure.
“Eighty percent of infrastructure projects fail at the preparation stage. Thanks to the support of our development partners, the EAC has prepared high-quality, bankable regional projects that are now attracting both public and private financing,” Malueth said.
Participants at the conference reviewed traffic forecasts, engineering designs and environmental and social assessments — all confirming the project’s strong technical and economic viability.
Engineer Charles Obuon, Director of Public–Private Partnerships at the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), described the expressway as a “catalyst for cross-border connectivity.”
Engineer Charles Wani, Commissioner for National Roads in Uganda’s Ministry of Works and Transport, emphasised the need for blended financing models to deliver transformative regional projects.
The Kenya–Uganda Expressway is part of a wider network of multinational road corridors being developed across East Africa to enhance mobility, reduce transport costs and accelerate integration.
These include the Arusha–Namanga–Athi River, Voi–Taveta–Moshi–Arusha, and Malindi–Tanga–Bagamoyo and Masaka–Mutukula–Bugene–Kyaka corridors, among others— collectively forming the backbone of the EAC’s infrastructure development agenda.
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