Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has signed a contract with South African construction firm, Group Five Construction Proprietary Limited to initiate the construction of the Lamu-Isiolo road. The US $602m project is part of the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor Project
Kenya hopes that the 530km road will be instrumental in developing 10 towns that are along the corridor as well as ease transport of cargo from the Lamu Port. The road will significantly improve access and inter-connectivity between Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure James Macharia said that the Lamu-Garissa-Isiolo road project is expected to commence next June with completion set for 2022.
Also read: South African lender boosts construction of Kenya’s Lamu-Isiolo road
“We are starting the implementation of the development of that corridor, we are opening that corridor of northern Kenya completely that means the growth of this country would be massively enhanced,” he said.
The road would start in the port city of Lamu and proceed in a northwesterly direction through the town of Bura, Tana River County, and continue on to the town of Garissa. At Garissa, the road would continue its northwesterly direction to Modo Gashe. Here it would take a southwesterly direction through Garba Tula, to end at Isiolo. At Isiolo, the road will link with the Isiolo-Lokichar Road, which is also planned.
