Plans to construct 256 kilometer Nairobi-malaba expressway are in full gear after the East African Community(EAC) revealed plans to conduct feasibility study before work begin, funded by the African development bank. The Nairobi-Malaba Expressway will transform transport system in Kenya with an estimated length of 256km and boost Northern Corridor’s capacity in facilitating trade. It is a strategic transport infrastructure intervention meant to solve traffic jam, shorten travel time and enhance safety. The expressway will expand the existing road to a standard dual carriageway four lane system from Nairobi to the Ugandan border.
Significance
The expressway plays a critical role in increase trade and economic cooperation within the East African Community (EAC). It will cut down transit duration of goods transported between the port of Mombasa and other land locked countries such as Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. This road significantly reduces time lost due to traffic along the supply chain the movement of over 1500 trucks that transit through the Malaba One-Stop Border Post every day.
The Treasury PS, Chris Kiptoo of Kenya made a statement during a meeting held in Washington D.C on October of 2024, he stated that the expressway will be a game changer in as much as the economy of the region is concerns. They also noted that the project was not only going to improve transport integration within the region but also to contribute to Kenya vision of being a hub of trade. Specifically, PS Kiptoo further argued for the adoption of Public Private Partnership (PPP) funding model in the realization of the project to minimize on the resource cost implication to the government as well limiting immense public debt. Thus, in addition to increasing efficiency and the speed of further work independently through private investment, the project will not depend too much on the state’s finances.
Technology and safety upgrades
The functional specifications that dictate the project design focus on emerging technology solutions that enhance safety and performance. They include ITS such as digital weigh bridges for balancing the loads, driver’s halts or nearside facilities, or pedestrian overpasses to avert possible collisions. Measures against insecurity are necessary since there are daily records of mishaps on the current highway. The government wants to turn this road into a modern expressway to lower the high accident death rate and other travelling circumstances.
Construction and management of the expressway is under public private partnership with private companies receiving the mandate for construction and maintenance of the expressway. This model helps to keep the project financially sustainable and not over-dependent on the public’s money. President William Ruto has also emphasized the significance of the project to change the face of the Kenyan economy notably enhance access to critical economic hubs such as the Naivasha and the industrial regions of Nairobi.
Therefore the Nairobi-Malaba Expressway is a transformative infrastructure program for Kenya and the greater eastern African region. The expressway stands as one of the world’s primary development corridors, driving future economic growth and developments through increased trade, improved roads, safety and enhance regional integration.
