From the congested arteries of Nairobi to the shimmering waters of Lake Victoria, Kenya is in the midst of a transportation transformation unlike anything seen since the construction of the Uganda Railway over a century ago. In 2026, the country is laying new railway tracks, launching electric buses, building massive highway interchanges, and battling the twin demons of gridlock and climate change. This article breaks down the state of Kenyan transport into 12 critical parts.
Part 1: The SGR Expansion – A Railway to the West
Kenya’s flagship infrastructure project is pushing westward. In March 2026, President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni launched the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) extension from Kisumu to Malaba . This 369-kilometer line represents the next phase of a vision to connect the Indian Ocean coast to the heart of Africa.
The project builds on the existing SGR network. Phase one connects Mombasa to Nairobi, while phase two extends from Nairobi to Naivasha . The new extension will push the line further west through Kisumu before reaching Malaba, a key border crossing point linking Kenya to Uganda and beyond.
President Ruto traced the historical significance of the moment, noting that while the colonial-era railway facilitated extraction and control, the modern SGR is designed to unlock opportunity, drive industrial growth, and anchor regional integration . Once complete, the line will form part of a broader corridor stretching to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan.
The economic stakes are enormous. Logistics currently account for between 30 and 40 percent of the cost of goods in the region. Cargo that takes up to 100 hours to reach Kampala from Mombasa will be moved much faster once the line is complete, with freight costs projected to drop by at least 40 percent .
Part 2: Kisumu Port – Reviving Lake Victoria’s Maritime Hub
While the railway grabs headlines, Kenya is also investing heavily in its inland waterway infrastructure. The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has announced a major upgrade of Kisumu Port, East Africa’s largest inland waterway facility .
The long-term strategy is ambitious: integrate Kisumu Port with the SGR to create a seamless logistics corridor from the Indian Ocean to landlocked countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan . The vision is for cargo to arrive at Mombasa, travel by rail to Kisumu, and then transfer onto vessels for lake transport—or vice versa.
Physical upgrades are already underway. The port’s quay is being extended from 262 meters to 392 meters, a project expected to enable simultaneous docking of more vessels. Yard space is being expanded beyond the current 3,000 square meters, and construction of a new 80-by-16 meter warehouse is underway to boost storage capacity .
Patrick Makau, KPA’s manager of cargo services, noted that the improvements are part of a broader government strategy to restore inland water transport in the Lake Victoria basin, reviving a mode of transport that has been underutilized for decades.
Part 3: The Gitaru Interchange – Unlocking Nairobi’s Western Corridor
For residents of Kikuyu and the surrounding areas, the Gitaru Interchange is nothing short of a lifeline. This massive infrastructure project, featuring four sweeping cloverleaf loops, is now nearing completion at approximately 85 percent .
Once operational, the interchange will connect the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway with both the Southern and Western Bypasses—a link expected to significantly ease traffic flow across the capital . The design allows traffic to flow continuously between highways without interruptions, reducing congestion while cutting travel time for motorists.
The project had previously stalled due to financial constraints, but a new funding model—securitization of future revenues from the Road Maintenance Levy Fund—helped revive the stalled works . Transport officials say the government is prioritizing completion of long-delayed infrastructure projects regardless of when they were started.
For local business owner George Larama, the changes are already visible. “This road helps a lot in transportation,” he told KBC. “In the past, when there were no good roads, people used to think it was risky to wake up at 2:00 am. But now, even at nine, you just take the road and go to Nairobi” .
Part 4: The Nairobi–Nakuru Corridor – A Six-Lane Future
The Gitaru Interchange is just one piece of a larger puzzle. The entire Nairobi–Nakuru corridor is undergoing a massive transformation under Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) .
Key projects include the Rehabilitation and Capacity Enhancement of the James Gichuru Road Junction – Rironi Highway (A104) under the National Urban Transport Improvement Project (NUTRIP). Even more significantly, several strategic Public-Private Partnership (PPP) road projects are underway, including the Rironi–Gilgil (A8), Rironi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha (A8 South), and the Gilgil–Mau Summit (A8) highway .
Once completed, these projects will expand approximately 138 kilometers of road into high-capacity dual and six-lane carriageways, significantly easing traffic congestion, enhancing road safety, and strengthening the Northern Corridor that connects Kenya to Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, the Kamandura–Nakuru section is expected to open by June 2026, bringing much-needed relief to motorists along this busy corridor .
Part 5: BRT Line 5 – The Long-Awaited Outer Ring Road Upgrade
Nairobi’s traffic nightmare might finally see relief. The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) has begun contract signing for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line 5 Project, officially kicking off the implementation phase of the Outer Ring Road upgrade .
The project will run along Outer Ring Road from Allsops to Taj Mall, covering a 10.5 km corridor. The scope includes construction of a two-lane BRT line, three river bridges, two overpass bridges measuring approximately 1,024m and 323m, 13 BRT stations, new footbridges, and installation of electro-mechanical systems, drainage, street lighting, and landscaping .
The project is funded by a USD 59 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea. KURA Director General Silas Kinoti acknowledged that the project had experienced delays but reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to fast-tracking its delivery .
However, the project is not without controversy. A Korean firm, CK Solutions Limited, filed an urgent petition in the High Court seeking to suspend the award and execution of the contract, arguing that the tender was conducted unlawfully . The legal challenge adds another layer of uncertainty to a project that has been promised for years.
Part 6: The BRT Riddle – Why Kenya Can’t Get It Right
To understand the skepticism surrounding BRT, one need only look at the faded red lines on Thika Superhighway. In April 2018, government officials painted dedicated BRT lanes on the superhighway, sparking a buzz that Kenya was finally getting modern mass transit. Seven years later, the “pink lipstick” markings have faded, and there are still no BRT buses .
The history of BRT in Kenya is a chronicle of broken promises. In October 2018, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that at least two stages of BRT must be ready for him to ride by December 12, 2018. That deadline passed. In February 2022, the government again assured Kenyans that it would roll out the first BRT by June of the same year. That deadline also passed .
A World Bank report in August 2022 identified the problem: the absence of an enabling legal and regulatory framework and ineffective coordination with existing public transport operators was undermining the commercial viability of the BRT project .
There is also resistance from the powerful matatu sector, which fears that BRT would ruin their businesses. The government, meanwhile, fears public backlash if it curbs out bus-only lanes from existing roads . Five BRT lines have been proposed for Nairobi, but to date, not a single kilometer is operational.
Part 7: Electric Mobility – The Silent Revolution
While BRT sputters, another transport revolution is quietly gaining speed. Electric vehicles (EVs) are taking off in Kenya at a remarkable pace. As of December 2025, there were over 14,700 units of electric buses, cars, tuk tuks, motorcycles, and bikes on Kenyan roads—up from fewer than 100 just five years ago .
The numbers tell the story of exponential growth: 796 units in 2022, 4,048 units in 2023, and 14,750 units by December 2024 . Electric motorbikes hold the biggest share at 55 percent, followed by electric bicycles at 37 percent. Electric passenger cars—mostly used by ride-hailing operators—number 326 units, while buses and minibuses are 54 units .
The growth is reflected in electricity consumption. The e-mobility sector consumed a record 4.57 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of power in the half-year to December 2025, a 152.49 percent increase from the same period in 2024 . Kenya Power is banking on this shift to grow its revenues, offering EV users a special tariff of Sh16 per kilowatt-hour during peak and Sh8 per kilowatt-hour for off-peak charging.
Part 8: Green Number Plates – Making EVs Visible
To further accelerate EV adoption, the government introduced new green number plates for electric vehicles and motorbikes in February 2026 . Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir announced the move as part of a broader electric mobility strategy.
“All EV vehicles will now be registered in green number plates,” Chirchir said. “We will be launching the new number plates going forward as a way of supporting the reduction of national carbon footprints” .
The transport sector accounted for 13 percent of Kenya’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2015, a figure projected to rise to 17 percent by 2030 if mitigation measures are not implemented . The government has also introduced reduced import duty and excise tax on electric vehicles compared to internal combustion engine cars, and has announced that it will prioritize the acquisition of electric vehicles across all government agencies.
Kenya’s push toward electric mobility is anchored on its clean energy mix, with more than 90 percent of electricity generated from renewable sources such as geothermal, hydro, and wind—positioning the country favorably to transition its transport sector with lower lifecycle emissions .
Part 9: The Charging Gap – Nairobi vs. The Rest
For all its growth, Kenya’s EV revolution remains largely a Nairobi story. Charging infrastructure for electric buses, cars, and motorbikes is mainly available in the capital, with very few installed outside Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa .
This geographical concentration significantly hampers uptake outside major urban centers. A motorist in Nakuru or Eldoret who might want to switch to an electric vehicle faces the daunting reality that charging options are limited or non-existent.
The government is aware of the challenge, and pilot projects involving electric buses, motorbikes, and tuk-tuks have been rolled out in major urban centers as part of efforts to address both air pollution and high fuel costs . But building a nationwide charging network will require significant investment and time.
Part 10: JKIA – Weather Woes and Flight Diversions
Even air transport is not immune to Kenya’s infrastructure challenges. In April 2026, Kenya Airways announced flight diversions at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) due to low visibility caused by weather conditions .
The situation forced the national carrier to divert some of its flights to Moi International Airport in Mombasa. “We wish to inform our customers to expect some flight delays for departures and arrivals due to low visibility affecting operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO),” read a customer notice .
This was not an isolated incident. Just a month earlier, in March 2026, heavy overnight rains that lashed Nairobi and surrounding areas similarly disrupted flight operations, with some flights diverted to Mombasa . While JKIA remains a modern facility, its vulnerability to weather disruptions highlights the ongoing need for investment in navigation aids and weather monitoring systems.
Part 11: The Northern Corridor – PPPs and Regional Trade
Kenya’s transport infrastructure is not just about moving people within the country—it is about positioning Kenya as the gateway to East and Central Africa. The Northern Corridor, which connects the Port of Mombasa to landlocked neighbors, is the region’s economic lifeline.
Several strategic road projects along this corridor are being implemented through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). The 94-kilometer Gilgil–Nakuru–Mau Summit (A8) Road, for example, is being implemented through a PPP between China Road and Bridge Corporation and the National Social Security Fund consortium .
During a parliamentary inspection tour in March 2026, the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure commended the Ministry for progress recorded across the corridor, noting that the projects are critical to unlocking regional trade and supporting economic growth .
Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has encouraged motorists to utilize alternative routes such as the Ngong–Suswa and Flyover–Njabini roads to ease congestion during construction . The Ministry also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening drainage systems along the corridor to enhance road durability.
Part 12: The Bottom Line – Connectivity as Economic Policy
What emerges from these 12 snapshots is a clear picture: the Kenyan government views transportation not as a social service but as an economic catalyst. President Ruto’s administration has made infrastructure delivery a cornerstone of its Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) .
The strategy is multi-pronged. Rail is being extended to reduce logistics costs. Roads are being upgraded to ease congestion and improve safety. Public transport is being modernized through BRT—however slowly. Electric mobility is being promoted to cut emissions and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. And regional connectivity is being strengthened to position Kenya as East Africa’s undisputed trade hub.
But challenges remain. Funding constraints have stalled projects in the past, and while securitization has unlocked some financing, the infrastructure gap remains vast. The BRT project has been promised for years without tangible results. The EV revolution is concentrated in Nairobi. And weather disruptions continue to plague air travel.
As Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir noted during the launch of the SGR extension, “This project is a game changer for Kenya’s economy. It will open up markets, reduce transport costs, and provide opportunities for our young people to secure meaningful employment” .
Whether Kenya can deliver on these promises—and deliver them on time—will determine not just how the nation moves, but how it grows. For now, the trains are rolling, the excavators are digging, and the green-number-plated motorcycles are silently zipping through Nairobi’s streets. The transportation revolution is underway. The question is how fast it will reach the finish line.
