Transport

Expansion of infrastructure and transportation networks is a key pillar of the government’s Vision 2030 economic development plan. Kenya represents a critical lifeline for landlocked neighbouring countries. While increased competition, ongoing delays among roads and ports projects, and a host of non-tariff barriers pose serious challenges to future expansion, the government’s dedication to improving transportation indicators has already witnessed steady growth in the rail, port, road and maritime segments. The sector is now poised to undergo enormous change in the next several years, with government expenditure on transportation construction and upgrades showing steady expansion. At the same time the country’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act, enacted in 2013, has opened the door for private investors to help develop high-profile projects including LAPSSET, the standard-gauge railway project and Lamu Port. Coupled with regulatory reforms aimed at reducing non-tariff barriers, these developments should see transportation in Kenya improve dramatically in the medium to long term.

This chapter contains interviews with Michael Kamau, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure; Titus Naikuni, Group Managing Director and CEO, Kenya Airways.