The East African Community (EAC) has confirmed that construction of the Kenya-Uganda Expressway will soon begin, following successful deliberations between the two nations.

Travel between Kenya and Uganda along the Northern Corridor is poised for a major upgrade following the confirmation of the Kisumu–Busia / Kakira–Malaba Multinational Expressway as both feasible and ready for investment. Backed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and executed under the East African Community (EAC) framework, the project is financed through a grant from the NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (NEPAD-IPPF). Once completed, the expressway is expected to transform connectivity and trade between the two nations—reducing travel time, alleviating congestion, and improving the movement of goods and people along one of East Africa’s most vital transport corridors within the Trans-African Highway and EAC Regional Trunk Road Network. The feasibility studies recommend major upgrades on both sides of the border. In Uganda, a new 60-km greenfield expressway will be developed between Jinja and Busesa through a Public–Private Partnership, alongside the dualing of the Busesa–Malaba and Busitema–Busia sections, while the Lwakhakha–Bumbobi section will remain a single carriageway. On the Kenyan side, works will involve dualling the Kisumu bypass and upgrading the Kimaeti–Lwakhakha road to bitumen standards. The Busia and Malaba One Stop Border Posts will also be rehabilitated to enhance clearance and efficiency. Together, these developments will strengthen regional connectivity, open new economic opportunities and symbolise East Africa’s commitment to seamless integration.

The Northern Corridor holds significant strategic value as the primary transport lifeline for Uganda and the wider Great Lakes Region, linking Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan to the port of Mombasa. The expressway project supports Uganda’s Vision 2040, which aims to modernize the national road network to world-class standards, achieving an average paved road density of 100 km per 1,000 sq km. Feasibility studies—covering traffic forecasts, preliminary engineering designs, environmental and social impact assessments, and cost evaluations—have all affirmed the project’s strong technical soundness and economic viability.

The expressway forms part of a broader network of multinational road corridors being developed across East Africa to enhance connectivity, facilitate trade and promote regional integration. These include the Arusha–Namanga–Athi River (235 km), Voi–Taveta/Holili–Moshi–Arusha (240 km), Malindi–Lungalunga–Tanga–Bagamoyo (400 km), and the Masaka–Mutukula–Kumunazi–Bugene–Kyaka corridor linking Uganda and Tanzania. Others are the Lusahunga–Rusumo–Kayonza–Kigali (162 km), Uvinza–Kanyani–Gisuru–Rusengo–Bugarama (375 km), Kisumu–Busia/Malaba–Jinja Expressway (256 km), and Ngozi–Kirundo–Kanyaru Bas–Nyamiyaga (176 km) roads. Collectively, these corridors form the backbone of the EAC’s infrastructure programme, designed to reduce transport costs, attract investment and accelerate the free movement of goods and people across the region.