The Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) has secured fresh funding from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to accelerate the transition to cleaner freight transport.
The funding agreement will support the implementation of the Northern Corridor Green Freight Strategy 2030 through greenhouse gas emissions tracking, a study on the electrification of operations at the Port of Mombasa and programmes aimed at increasing women's participation in the freight transport sector.
Although UNEP's latest contribution amounts to about $200,000 (ShSh 25.8 million), the programme has already mobilised approximately $1.6 million (Sh207 million) from development partners, including Germany's development agency (GIZ) and the Kühne Climate Centre.
Officials say the funding is expected to unlock further investments needed to modernise freight transport across the region.
The Northern Corridor is East Africa's main trade artery, linking the Port of Mombasa with Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, while also serving Ethiopia and Somalia.
The corridor handles an estimated 75,000 tonnes of cargo daily, transported by between 2,000 and 3,000 trucks, making it one of the busiest freight networks on the continent.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, NCTTCA Executive Secretary John Deng said the authority's role has evolved beyond facilitating trade to ensuring that regional economic growth is environmentally sustainable.
“For more than 40 years, the Northern Corridor has facilitated trade and logistics across the region. But with growing economies has come increased transport activity, and today thousands of trucks use the corridor every day, emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere,” he said.
“Climate change is real, and we have to protect future generations by laying the institutional and knowledge foundations that will safeguard our environment, our businesses and our economies.”
A major component of the new funding will be a feasibility study on electrifying truck movements and cargo-handling equipment within the Port of Mombasa, one of East Africa's busiest logistics hubs.
Officials believe reducing emissions at the port could become one of the quickest ways of lowering the transport sector's carbon footprint while improving operational efficiency.
The agreement will also finance the updating of greenhouse gas emissions data in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, while extending emissions baseline studies to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
The data will help governments monitor emissions and guide policies aimed at reducing the environmental impact of freight transport.
The Northern Corridor Green Freight Strategy 2030 seeks to make the regional freight sector electric vehicle-ready by 2030 while targeting net-zero emissions by 2050. The authority also aims to reduce freight-related emissions by 10 per cent annually through better emissions monitoring, cleaner technologies and supportive policy reforms.
Deng said the transition to electric freight transport remains at an early stage, with only eight heavy-duty electric trucks currently operating as pilot vehicles along the corridor.
“We are still at the pilot stage. The technology is promising, but commercialisation has to make economic sense. The data we are collecting will guide future investment and help determine how quickly we can scale up,” he said.
The programme will also establish a framework to promote gender inclusion in the transport sector by identifying barriers limiting women's participation and developing policies to improve access to opportunities within the green freight industry.
Speaking on behalf of UNEP, Rob de Jong said East Africa has an opportunity to become part of the global transition to cleaner freight transport instead of adopting new technologies after other regions have already advanced.
“We want to make sure East Africa is part of that transition rather than following it,” he said.
De Jong said the Port of Mombasa presents an ideal starting point because trucks and cargo-handling equipment operate within a controlled environment, making charging infrastructure easier to deploy.
“Ports offer what we call a captured fleet. These vehicles operate within the port, making them among the first candidates for electrification,” he said.
Officials believe the strategy will attract additional investment in electric trucks, charging infrastructure and other clean transport technologies, strengthening the Northern Corridor's competitiveness while supporting the region's transition to more sustainable trade and logistics.
