Kenya's Northern Corridor Set for Major Upgrade with Nairobi-Malaba Expressway
Posted on : Monday, 4th November 2024
Plans to construct a 256-kilometer Nairobi-Malaba highway are in full swing after the East African Community (EAC) revealed plans to perform a feasibility assessment before beginning construction, which will be financed by the African Development Bank. With a projected length of 256 kilometers, the Nairobi-Malaba Expressway is going to change Kenya's transportation infrastructure and increase the Northern Corridor's capability for trade facilitation. It is a planned transportation infrastructure intervention designed to relieve traffic congestion, reduce travel time, and improve safety. The expressway will transform the existing route from Nairobi to the Ugandan border into a standard dual carriageway four-lane system.
The highway is crucial to increasing commercial and economic collaboration across the East African Community (EAC). It will shorten the transit time of products carried between the Mombasa port and other landlocked nations such as Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan. This road considerably minimizes delay caused by traffic along the supply chain, which includes the movement of nearly 1500 vehicles passing across the Malaba One-Stop Border Post each day.
Kenya's Treasury PS, Chris Kiptoo, indicated at a meeting in Washington, D.C. in October 2024 that the proposed expressway is going to be a game changer for the region's economy. They further stated that the project will not only increase regional transport integration, but would also help Kenya achieve its goal of becoming a commercial hub.
Specifically, PS Kiptoo called for the use of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) financing model in the project's implementation to reduce the government's resource costs while also reducing massive public debt. Thus, in addition to boosting the efficiency and speed of future work with private investment, the project won't depend heavily on public funds.
The functional standards that guide the project design prioritize emerging technological solutions that improve safety and performance. They consist of ITS technologies like digital weigh bridges for load balance, vehicle halts or nearby services, and pedestrian overpasses to avoid collisions.
The highway is being constructed and administered in a public-private partnership, with private corporations getting the expressway's construction and maintenance contracts. This technique helps to maintain the project financially viable and not overly reliant on public funds. President William Ruto additionally highlighted the project's significance in changing the face of Kenya's economy, particularly by improving access to major economic hubs such as Naivasha and Nairobi's industrial zones.
As a result, the Nairobi-Malaba Expressway is a game-changing infrastructure project for Kenya and the rest of eastern Africa. The expressway is one of the world's key development corridors, promoting future economic growth and development through greater commerce, better roads, safety, and regional integration.
