14/08/2026
The Northern Corridor Jigsaw: Connecting Kenya’s Trade Routes
The Nairobi Expressway is more than a road through the capital city. It is a critical piece of a much bigger infrastructure jigsaw stretching from the Port of Mombasa through Nairobi, the Rift Valley and onward to Malaba and the wider East African market.
This network forms part of the Northern Corridor, a strategic economic artery connecting the Port of Mombasa to production centres, markets and logistics hubs across Kenya, Uganda and the wider region. To unlock its full potential, the Government is advancing complementary projects along the route.
At the Coast, efforts to expand and modernize the ports of Mombasa and Lamu are progressing to increase capacity and ease the movement of cargo into the hinterland. These investments are aimed at strengthening the maritime gateway that anchors the corridor and connects Kenya to regional and international markets.
Further inland, the process of onboarding a private concessionaire for the Mombasa-Nairobi Expressway PPP project is underway. The project will create a vital link between the Port of Mombasa and Nairobi, connecting directly with the operational Nairobi Expressway and strengthening the movement of goods and people along this critical section of the corridor.
Beyond Nairobi, the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway PPP, whose construction is underway, will strengthen another key section of the route. At the same time, feasibility work on the proposed Mau Summit-Eldoret-Malaba Highway PPP is progressing, further extending the network towards Uganda and beyond.
Together, these projects connect Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Mau Summit, Eldoret and Malaba into an integrated Northern Corridor transport network. The aim is to facilitate the efficient movement of people and goods, support regional trade and strengthen Kenya’s position as a gateway to East and Central African markets.
Through PPPs, the Government is bringing together infrastructure, private capital, technical expertise and long-term operational capacity to make the Northern Corridor more efficient, competitive and resilient.
Watch our Nairobi Expressway documentary to see how one road fits into the bigger picture and how the different pieces of the Northern Corridor jigsaw connect Kenya to the region and beyond.