Kenya Upgrades East Africa’s busiest trade and transport route from Kwa Jomvu to Mariakani Under Global Gateway Initiative

• Key road upgrade will predominantly increase two lane carriageway to four and six lane dual carriageway.
• The project will contribute to improving road safety, reducing emissions and boosting regional trade.
• The EUR 140 million (Ksh 19 billion) project is receiving Team Europe support with a €50 million (Ksh 6.8 billion) loan from EIB Global, a €50 million (Ksh 6.8 billion) loan from KfW, a €20 million (Ksh 2.7 billion) grant from the EU, and approximately €20 million (Ksh 2.7 billion) from the Government of Kenya.

The European Investment Bank (EIB Global), the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Kenya and the German Development Bank (KfW) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), together with President William Ruto, launched the works for upgrading of the road section from Kwa-Jomvu to Mariakani, in the Southeast of Kenya. The works involve converting the predominantly two-lane road to a four and six lane dual carriageway.

Within the Mombasa - Mariakani area, the road forms the main axis to Nairobi, and is part of the Northern Corridor, which links the port of Mombasa with the landlocked Eastern and Central African countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The road rehabilitation and upgrade are part of the Global Gateway EU – Africa Strategy. In a Team Europe approach, EIB Global and KFW are supporting the project with concessional loans of up to €100 million (Ksh 13.6 billion), while EU is providing a grant of €20 million (Ksh 2.7 billion). The Kenyan Government is contributing with approximately €20 million (Kshs 2.7 billion).

Upon completion, the upgraded road will benefit an average of 20,000 vehicles per day travelling through Mariakani. Moreover, the enhancement of the road will contribute to reducing emissions and the number of road accidents.

Speaking during the launch ceremony in Mariakani, President William Ruto said: “I would like to thank our Team Europe partners for their support in developing as well as expanding this road infrastructure which will ease movement of goods to and from the port, thus increasing efficiency.”

The EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Sikela said:” This Global Gateway project is a great example of quality infrastructure made possible by the cooperation between the Kenyan government and the European union. Together, we are not just building infrastructure, we are accelerating Kenya’s economic development and supporting trade co-operation in the East African Community more broadly.”

European Investment Bank Vice President, Thomas Östros commented on the launch: “Sustainable transport is key to growth and inclusion as it connects people and enables trade. Projects such as this one brings together important aspects of sustainability and safety, as well as accessibility, resilience, and efficiency. Road transport plays an important role in the Kenyan economy, affecting all sectors – and society as a whole. At the EIB, we are glad to support the national government in realizing its development agenda, which is in line with the EU-Kenya partnership strategy and the Global Gateway initiative.”

The Director of the German Development Bank (KfW) in Nairobi, Kristina Laarmann highlighted: “We all know that the Mombasa port serves as a major gateway for East Africa by connecting Kenya to significant trade routes in East and Central Africa. This is why this project is so important. It will not only create jobs during the construction phase. It will also stimulate job opportunities and local businesses after completion. By widening the carriageways, traffic jams and the average time to pass the road section will be reduced. Ultimately, this shall also lead to a reduction in transport costs and savings in vehicle operating costs.”

The Kwa  Jomvu – Mariakani project is part of the wider upgrading of the Northern Corridor, which is East Africa’s busiest trade and transport route. This is part of the EU Global Gateway transport investment that also includes the ongoing Mombasa – Kilifi Road and Kitale – Morpus road, while the upgrading of Isebania-Kisii-Ahero highway and associated feeder roads have been completed.

The road project feeds into the European Union’s wider support for the creation of twelve strategic transport corridors across Africa under the €150 billion Global Gateway EU-Africa Investment package to boost trade.

Background information

About EIB Global:

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives.

EIB Global is the EIB Group's specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, and a key partner in Global Gateway. We aim to support €100 billion of investment by the end of 2027, around one third of the overall target of this EU initiative. With Team Europe, EIB Global fosters strong, focused partnerships, alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the Group closer to people, companies and institutions through our offices around the world.

About KfW:

KfW Bankengruppe, founded in 1948, is the German promotional bank and one of the world’s leading promotional banks. It is 80% owned by the Federal Government and 20% by the federal states. The business sector KfW Development Bank carries out Financial Cooperation (FC) projects with developing countries and emerging economies on behalf of the German Federal Government, especially of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). KfW Development Bank employs approximately 1,200 people at the head office in Frankfurt am Main as well as 400 specialists at more than 60 international locations, who cooperate with partners all over the world. Their goal is to combat poverty, secure peace, protect the environment and the climate as well as ensure fair globalization. KfW Development Bank is a competent and strategic adviser for current development policy issues.

About EU:

The European Union has set out the Global Gateway, which is a new European Strategy that helps its partners build better connectivity infrastructure for any society. With this strategy the EU is creating sustainable and trusted connections for people and the planet to tackle the most pressing global challenges  from climate change and protecting the environment, to improving health security and boosting competitiveness and global supply chains.

In Kenya, the European Union has cooperated in the transport sector for more than 30 years. This has delivered significant improvements for the Northern and Ethiopia/South Sudan corridors as well as improvements in Rural and Urban Roads. More than €550 million have been provided as EU grants, which have enabled and strengthened the trade flows between Kenya and its neighbours.

For More Information:

EU-Africa: Global Gateway Investment Package

EU-Africa: Global Gateway Investment Package - Strategic Corridors