Plans for a highway that would connect Mombasa, Kenya, to Kigali, Rwanda, have been in the works since 2013. The project is still in the planning stages although it was anticipated to have been completed by 2024, it is highly unlikely that that will happen.
The 1,600-kilometre highway would have six lanes and has already been agreed upon by 13 government bodies. Furthermore, the Ugandan government has also agreed for the highway to pass through its country.
Also Read: Isiolo-Wajir-Mandera Highway (Kenya’s Horn of Africa Gateway Road) Project Updates
Reported in July 2014
Plans underway for the construction of the Mombasa – Kigali superhighway, Kenya
Plans are being made by the East African states to see the construction of a 1,600km six-lane superhighway that will connect Mombasa and Kigali towns. The project is aimed at reducing pressure on the Northern corridor, amidst anticipation of an increase in transit cargo to 44 million tons from the 22.9 million tons currently passing through the port of Mombasa.
Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA) has promised to support governments in the region in the construction of the road. They have indicated that the new highway should be equipped with modern technology such as high-speed weigh-in-motion systems and speed cameras. The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has revealed, in a charter agreed upon by 13 government agencies, that they will work with road agencies from neighboring Uganda and Rwanda for the construction of the roads in 3-10 years.
The KeNHA Director General Meshack Kidenda said that they are already working on the most congested segments of the road. The governments of Kenya have already invested in the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), which is meant to ease pressure on the Northern Corridor. Kenya is to shift 35% of cargo to the rail by 2018.
The government is in the process of seeking consultants to conduct feasibility studies on concession agreements for the Nairobi-Thika, Nairobi-Mombasa, and Nairobi-Nakuru highways.
