• KeNHA plans three highways totaling 403 km across six Rift Valley counties
• Projects aim to strengthen logistics links between South and North Rift
• Roads to be financed with World Bank and AfDB loans

Kenya plans to build three major highways in the Rift Valley region as part of efforts to strengthen logistics connectivity, according to information reported by local media and confirmed by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA).

The projects will cover a combined length of 403 km and link six strategic counties: Nandi, Bomet, Kericho, Elgeyo Marakwet, Uasin Gishu, and Narok. KeNHA said the roads are designed to improve territorial integration between the South Rift and the North Rift.

According to the authority, the projects will be financed through loans mobilized from the World Bank and the African Development Bank. The planned highways are expected to form a strategic logistics corridor, helping to open up rural areas, improve inter-regional connectivity, and facilitate market access for local producers. While no start date has been announced, the projects align with Kenya’s national development strategy, which places road infrastructure at the center of economic growth.

Under its Vision 2030 program, Kenya aims to build and rehabilitate about 5,500 km of roads, including 3,825 km of primary national highways and 1,675 km of county roads. Implementation of the program, however, has been slowed by budget constraints, which have delayed several projects.

To address these funding challenges, the government is seeking to diversify its financing mechanisms. In December 2025, it approved the creation of a National Infrastructure Fund and a second sovereign wealth fund, both intended to mobilize close to 5,000 billion shillings (about $38.7 billion) to revive priority infrastructure projects that have so far stalled.

Henoc Dossa