Kenya gets Sh24b from AfDB for Great North Road

Kenyans in towns along the Great North Road are expected to enjoy reduced traffic after Africa Development Bank board approved Sh23.8 billion loan to construct the road.

The five-year project conveniently links major economic hubs in the country and will convert the 84km Kenol–Sagana–Marua Road in Central and Eastern Kenya from a two-way single carriageway to a dual bypass.

The new road will ease transport between Nairobi and the Mount Kenya region and ultimately to Ethiopia with the biggest beneficiaries being producers, manufacturers and traders, who will save time and money, thanks to improved access on the main corridor to the north.

The current Kenol–Sagana–Marua Road is situated along the “Great North Road”, which forms part of the 800km stretch between Nairobi and Moyale and runs across the five counties of Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Machakos, Embu and Nyeri.

It is estimated that about 1.15 million people will benefit from the upgraded highway.

The Government will finance 19 per cent of the total cost of the project, while the remaining 81 per cent will be financed by AfDB.

The bank’s portfolio in Kenya consists of 38 operations, totalling around $3.3 billion (Sh330 billion).

“Building a 21st-century road must also take into account climate change, which often leads to road runoff, flooding and erosion. To counter these phenomena, trees will be planted in the surrounding area,” AfDB said in a statement yesterday.

Kenol–Sagana–Marua Road is also part of the Trans-Africa Highway, commonly known as the Cape to Cairo route.

Kenya’s road network stands at about 177,800 km. Of that, only 63,575 km is classified.

The classified road network has increased from 41,800 km at independence to 63,575 km today, a development rate of less than 600 km per annum, according to the Kenya National Highways Authority.