Skip to main content

Kenya’s new road connection for port

Kenya is on track to build a new highway connection from the port of Lamu to Isiolo. The project is for a 530km highway and will cost US$620 million, with the route running through Garissa. The final route has yet to be identified but it seems likely that the highway will skirt a number of the country’s protected areas that are subject to tight environmental requirements and on which Kenya relies for much of its tourist trade. The project will be carried out by the Lamu Road Consortium (LRC), which comprise
December 1, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

Kenya is on track to build a new highway connection from the port of Lamu to Isiolo. The project is for a 530km highway and will cost US$620 million, with the route running through Garissa. The final route has yet to be identified but it seems likely that the highway will skirt a number of the country’s protected areas that are subject to tight environmental requirements and on which Kenya relies for much of its tourist trade. The project will be carried out by the Lamu Road Consortium (LRC), which comprises South African firm Group Five and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). The project will be carried out as a PPP under a 25-year build-operate-transfer package. Construction is expected to take 48 months to complete, with work commencing in mid-2018. The project will deliver better port access for East African countries and will improve transport connections to Kenya’s northern port of Lamu. The new link will form part of the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor Project. At Isiolo, the road will link with the planned Isiolo-Lokichar Road, close to Kenya’s border with Uganda. The route will also end at Lokichar in Turkana where it will join the Eldoret-Juba highway. At Isiolo it will connect to the new northbound road to Moyale, which lies on the border with Ethiopia.

Related Content

  • Kenya port suspension bridge project makes progress
    January 15, 2019
    A new suspension bridge in Kenya’s key port city, Mombasa, will help unlock potential – Shem Oirere reports Plans for the construction of a US$200 million suspension bridge in Kenya heva moved a notch higher. The country's urban roads agency recently announced the shortlisting of three bidders for the design, finance, construct, operate, maintain and transfer public private partnership (PPP) contract model. Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) is a state agency that manages, develops, rehabilitates and mai
  • New Zimbabwe highway upgrade being planned
    August 24, 2016
    Plans are in hand for road widening work and surfacing upgrades for a key route crossing Zimbabwe. The highway upgrade is being carried out by a joint venture partnership between Chinese firm China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and Austrian Company Geiger International. This follows agreements being reached between the joint venture partners and the Zimbabwe Government. The work is needed as the existing road links along the route are unable to cope with that current traffic volumes that include a high
  • Ethiopia’s new tolled highway opens
    June 21, 2019
    Ethiopia is now benefiting from a new tolled route, improving transport between Dire Dawa and Dewele.
  • Two new road links will help boost Uganda’s economy
    October 3, 2014
    Uganda has unveiled plans for the construction of two road projects considered critical in enhancing the integration of the Eastern African economies and boosting the landlocked country's socio-economic performance - Shem Oirere writes The new Rukungiri–Kihihi–Ishasha/Kanungu and Bumbobi-Bubulo-Lwakhakha roads in Uganda feature a design influenced by the desire to harmonise modern road standards in East Africa. These new links will also cater for the current acute shortage of gravel for road construction