Kenya’s type A, B and C Road maps.
Authorities Ministry of Roads and Public Works Title: Public Communications Manager Name: Ali Chege Address: Ministry of Works Building, Ngong Road, P.O. Box 30260 – 00100, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 020 272 3101 Fax: +254 20 272 3109 Email: [email protected] Website: www.roads.go.ke
Road Construction / Maintenance Road Construction / Maintenance Contacts Kenya Roads Board Name: Engineer Njonge Address: 3rd Floor, Kenya Re Towers, Off Ragati Rd, Upper Hill Area, P.O. Box 73718 – 00200, Nairobi Tel: +254 020 498 0000 Cell: +254 733 334 422 Fax: +254 20 498 0009 Email:[email protected] Website: www.krb.go.ke The History of KRB dates back to 1992 when the Kenya Government together with the Road Maintenance Initiative (RMI) and the World Bank hosted a Road Sector Stakeholders Seminar to address the deteriorating condition of the road network and the constraints to proper road maintenance. The identified constraints were institutional, managerial and financial
It was resolved that a sustainable source of funding to be established and the existing road management institutional set-up be reviewed. In 1993 the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) Act was enacted, providing a sustainable source of funding for the maintenance of the road network
In 1995, with assistance of the European Commission, the Road Sector Institutional Study was commissioned. Its objective was to identify the most appropriate institutional framework within which the management of Kenya’s entire road network would be most effectively undertaken. The study recommended the formation of an executive roads board, working together with identified road agencies to effectively deliver an efficient road transport system for road users in Kenya; hence the Kenya Roads Board was formed. The mandate of the board is to Administer the funds derived from the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) and any other funds that may accrue to it.
Coordinate the development, rehabilitation and maintenance of the road network, with a view to achieving efficiency, cost effectiveness and safety.
Coordinate the implementation of all policies relating to the development, rehabilitation and maintenance of the road network.
Determine the allocation of financial resources from the RMLF or from any other source available to the Board required by road agencies for the development, rehabilitation and maintenance of the road network. Monitor the operations or activities undertaken by road agencies in the development, rehabilitation and maintenance of the Kenyan road network
Kenya National Highways Authority Title: DG Name: Eng. M.O. Kidenda Address: Kenya National Highways Authority, (KeNHA) 6th Floor, BlueShield Towers, Hospital Road, Upperhill, P.O. Box 48151-00100, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 20 801 3842 Fax: +254 20 801 3842 Email: [email protected], [email protected] Website: www.kenha.co.ke An autonomous road agency, responsible for the management, development, rehabilitation and maintenance of international trunk roads linking centres of international importance and crossing international boundaries or terminating at international ports (Class A roads), national trunk roads linking internationally important centres (Class B roads), and primary roads linking provincially important centres to each other or two higher-classroads (Class C roads)
KeNHA RegionalOffices: http://www.kenha.co.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23&Ite mid=31&limitstart=1
Kenya Rural Roads Authority Title: DG Name: Eng. Joseph Nkadayo Address: Kenya Rural Roads Authority, (KeRRA) 6th Floor, Blueshield Towers, Upperhill, P.O. Box 48151, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 20 801 3844 Fax: +254 20 801 3844 Email: [email protected], [email protected] Website: www.kura.go.ke KURA is responsible for: o constructing, upgrading, rehabilitating and maintaining roads under its control o Controlling urban road reserves and access to roadside developments o implementing roads policies in relation to urban roads o Ensuring adherence by motorists to the rules and guidelines on axle load control
Kenya Urban Roads Authority Title: DG Name: Eng. Joseph Nkadayo Address: Kenya Urban Roads Authority, (KURA) 2nd Floor, IKM Place, 5th Ngong Avenue, P.O. Box 41727, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 20 801 3844 Fax: +254 20 801 3844 Email: [email protected], [email protected] Website: www.kura.go.ke
KURA is responsible for: o Constructing, upgrading, rehabilitating and maintaining roads under its control o Controlling urban road reserves and access to roadside developments o Implementing roads policies in relation to urban roads o Ensuring adherence by motorists to the rules and guidelines on axle load control
Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits
Maximum Permissible Axle Loads Kenya – Maximum Permissible Axle Loads (kgs)
Single Steering Axle (2 wheels – single tyres) 8,000
Single Steering Axle (4 wheels – dual tyres) 10,000
Tandem Axle Group (8 wheels – dual tyres) 16,000
Triple Axle Group (12 wheels – dual tyres) 24,000
Axle Load Limits Kenya – Axle Load Limits (kgs)
Machine Error Axle Group Legal Limit (kg) Allowable Axle Load Allowance
Single Steering Axle 8,000 0 8,000
Single Rear Axle 10,000 400 10,400
Tandem Rear Axle 16,000 600 16,600
Triple Rear Axle 24,000 800 24,800
Overloading Fine Schedule Kenya – Overloading Fine Schedule
Subsequent Degree of Axle Overloading First Conviction (KES) Convictions
Less than 1,000 kg 5,000 10,000
1,000 kg or more but less than 2,000 kg 10,000 20,000
2,000 kg or more but less than 3,000 kg 15,000 30,000
3,000 kg or more but less than 4,000 kg 20,000 40,000
4,000 kg or more but less than 5,000 kg 30,000 60,000
5,000 kg or more but less than 6,000 kg 50,000 100,000
6,000 kg or more but less than 7,000 kg 75,000 150,000
7,000 kg or more but less than 8,000 kg 100,000 200,000
8,000 kg or more but less than 9,000 kg 150,000 300,000 9,000 kg or more but less than 10,000 kg 175,000 350,000
10,000 kg or more 200,000 400,000
For details on Weighbridges: www.kenha.co.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41&Itemid=52&showall=1
Principal Transport Corridors in Kenya Kenya – Principal Transport Corridors (Distances are calculated using Google Earth)
Mombassa – Nairobi (487 kms)
This is a primary tarmac road in good condition along most parts thanks to major funding by the European Union The average transit time for loaded trucks is 1 day Mombasa – Voi – Mwatate – Taveta & Tanzania (267 kms)
This sector is a combination of primary and secondary roads The tarmac road is in fair condition up to Mwatate but thereafter it is an earth road and the transit time is 1 day Mombasa – Ukunda – Lunga Lunga & Tanzania (138 kms)
This sector is a combination of tarmac and murram roads with murram between Ukunda and Lunga Lunga There is a crossing where a ferry is used specifically for the carriage of trucks which takes about one hour The average transit time is 1 day Nairobi – Kajiado – Namanga & Tanzania (163 kms)
Tarmac road in good condition and the average transit time is 1 day Nairobi – Nanyuki – Isiolo – Marsabit – Moyale & Ethiopia (784 kms)
From Nairobi to Isiolo it is a primary tarmac road in good condition. The Sagana to Nyeri area is quite hilly and the average transit time is 1 day The Isiolo - Marsabit – Moyale sector is a tertiary road that has very bad sections between Isiolo and Marsabit, particularly during the rainy season where trucks can get stuck up to 48 hours until the road dries up Trucks of up to 15 mt capacity are generally in use after Isiolo The average transit time is 3 – 4 days Nairobi - Nakuru - Eldoret - Lodwar - Kakuma – Lokichoggio & Sudan (838 kms)
Primary paved road in fair to bad condition with severely broken tarmac around the Timboroa area The average transit time is 5 days during the dry season without the bottleneck at Ortum Bridge The total transit time is 3 – 4 days Nairobi - Naivasha - Nakuru - Kisumu (346 kms)
A primary tarmac road where the condition is good to Nakuru due to road reconstruction From Nakuru to Kisumu the condition is not as good and is quite hilly in sections which reduces travel speed The average transit time is 1 day Nairobi - Nakuru - Timboroa - Eldoret - Malaba & Uganda (440 kms)
This is a primary tarmac road in good condition The section in the Timboroa area between Eldoret and Malaba is not good Between Molo and Eldoret the road undulates and the average transit time is 1 day Nairobi – Garissa – Dadaab – Liboi & Somalia (546 kms) Kenya – Principal Transport Corridors (Distances are calculated using Google Earth)
The Nairobi – Garissa sector is an all-weather tarmac road The Garissa – Dadaab section is not paved but is generally well maintained but is often damaged by flooding The Dadaab – Liboi section is in very poor condition caused by flooding and washouts during the rainy seasons This route is used during the rainy season as an alternative to Malindi - Hola - Dadaab route The average transit time is 2 – 3 days Mombasa – Malindi – Garsen – Hola – Garissa – Dadaab – Liboi & Somalia (645 kms)
From Mombasa to Garsen the road is a paved all weather road but is in poor condition The 91 km section from Garsen to Hola (see photo below) is an earth road which is impassable during wet seasons From Hola to Garissa the road is paved and is generally in good condition. This route is used only during the dry season and the average transit time is 3 – 4 days Garissa – Wajir – El Wak – Mandera & Somalia (705 kms)
Tertiary road, the section between Modogashi to Habaswein where the road crosses the Lorian Swamp becomes impassable when the swamp fills with water (See photo below) The Wajir to El Wak section also becomes impassable during the rainy season The sector from El Wak to Mandera was once a tarmac road but due to a lack of maintenance the tarmac was removed leaving a firm murram base which is rough in places and travel speeds are slow There are many hilly sections about mid way where seasonal rivers dissect the road and cause many washouts Notes to Consider
The paved roads suffer from cracking and structural destabilization to the asphalt surfaces, especially in heavy traffic routes such as the Mombasa - Buchuma, Machakos turn-off – Nairobi (on the Mombasa Road), Molo – Kericho and the Nairobi – Thika roads. This has become particularly pronounced due to the increasing deterioration of the rail network
Mombasa to Mandera The road from the Port of Mombasa to Mandera is one of the principal corridors in Kenya as it serves the districts of Kilifi, Tana River, Ijara, Garissa, Wajir, Moyale and Mandera, locations where there is considerable humanitarian assistance
Kenya – Transport Corridors: Mombasa to Mandera (Somalia Border)
Origin Destination
Town or city (closest) Mombasa Mandera
Latitude 04° 02’ 47.80” S 03° 56’ 01.00” N
Longitude 39° 38’ 56.00” E 41° 52’ 11.30” E
Total Distance 1,173 km
Jan – Mar Apr – Jun Jul – Sep Oct – Nov
Dry Season 6 6 6 6 Kenya – Transport Corridors: Mombasa to Mandera (Somalia Border)
Transit time for Wet Season trucks & trailers +10 +10 +10 +10 (Days)
This road can also used as the entry point to Somalia at Liboi, El Wak and Mandera Total route time 4x4 (Days) 3 4 3 4
Car Passable by: 4x4 (over full Truck distance) Trailer
This sector is very long at over 1,300 kms so there are a range of different road surfaces along the route Key locations where seasonal constraints occur are; 1. Garsen – Hola 2. Modogashe – Habaswein 3. Wajir – El Wak 4. Ramu – Mandera All of these sections are unpaved dirt tracks and during the wet seasons are often impassable to trucks
Section 1: From Garsen to Hola
Distance from Mombasa to Garsen 230 kms
Distance from Garsen to Hola 100 kms
Route time on this stretch (4x4) – During dry season 2-3 hours Hours
Class of road Highway Primary Secondary Track
Surface Asphalt Concrete Gravel Dirt
Possible Mud Flooded Snow/Ice conditions
Wet season Car 4x4 Truck access
The Garsen – Hola sector is a particularly troublesome road, it is more of a dirt track with no base of foundation When dry it is passable but during periods of rain it immediately becomes impassable and the alternate route is via Nairobi which adds several days to the transit time (See photo) Section 2: From Modogashe to Habaswein
Distance from Mombasa to 624 kms Modogashe
Distance from Modogashe to 50 kms Habaswein Kenya – Transport Corridors: Mombasa to Mandera (Somalia Border)
Route time on this stretch (4x4) – During dry season 2-3 hours Hours
Class of road Highway Primary Secondary Track
Surface Asphalt Concrete Gravel Dirt
Possible Mud Flooded Snow/Ice conditions
Wet season Car 4x4 Truck access
The section between Modogashe to Habaswein is where the road crosses the Lorian Swamp The swamp only floods during the wet seasons and when flooded the road becomes very difficult to cross (See photo) Section 3: From Wajir to El Wak
Distance from Mombasa to Wajir 783 kms
Distance from Wajir to El Wak 178 kms
Route time on this stretch (4x4) – During dry season 5-6 hours Hours
Class of road Highway Primary Secondary Track
Surface Asphalt Concrete Gravel Dirt
Possible Mud Flooded Snow/Ice conditions
Wet season Car 4x4 Truck access
From Wajir to El Wak the road is in very poor condition that becomes deep mud during wet seasons Section 4: From Ramu to Mandera
Distance from Mombasa to Ramu 1,099 kms
Distance from Ramu to Mandera 75 kms
Route time on this stretch (4x4) – During dry season 2-3 hours Hours
Class of road Highway Primary Secondary Track
Surface Asphalt Concrete Gravel Dirt
Possible Mud Flooded Snow/Ice conditions
Wet season Car 4x4 Truck access Kenya – Transport Corridors: Mombasa to Mandera (Somalia Border)
The stretch of road from Ramu to Mandera is hilly in places and dissected by many seasonal rivers that during the wet seasons will flood and wash the road away The Ministry of Public Works maintain equipment at Ramu to keep the road passable during the wet seasons
Mombasa to Moyale The road from the Mombasa to Moyale (via Nairobi, Isiolo and Marsabit) is a principal humanitarian transportcorridor; it serves the districts of Embu, Meru, Isiolo, Laikipia, Samburu, Marsabit and Moyale, locations where there is considerable humanitarian activity
Kenya – Transport Corridors: Mombasa to Moyale (Ethiopian Border)
Origin Destination
Town or city (closest) Mombasa Moyale
Latitude 04° 02’ 47.80” S 03° 31’ 41.40” N
Longitude 39° 38’ 56.00” E 39° 03’ 09.11” E
Total Distance 1,034 km
Jan – Mar Apr – Jun Jul – Sep Oct – Nov
Dry Season Transit time for 4 4 4 4 trucks & trailers Wet Season (Days) +10 +10 +10 +10
Total route time 4x4 (Days) 2 3 2 3
Car Passable by: 4x4 (over full Truck distance) Trailer
Generally this road remains passable during all seasons as it is designated as the Trans East African Highway from Nairobi to Addis Ababa, although unpaved north of Isiolo it does receive regular maintenance By June 2011 about half the distance from Isolio to marsabit had been paved Section 1: From Isiolo to Marsabit
Distance from Mombasa to Isiolo 753 km
Distance from Isiolo to Marsabit 261 km
Route time on this stretch (4x4) – During dry season 5-6 hours Hours
Class of road Highway Primary Secondary Track Kenya – Transport Corridors: Mombasa to Moyale (Ethiopian Border)
Surface Asphalt Concrete Gravel Dirt
Possible Mud Flooded Snow/Ice conditions
Wet season Car 4x4 Truck access
North of Isiolo the road is unpaved and transit times can vary a lot Section 2: From Marsabit to Moyale
Distance from Mombasa to Marsabit 1,011 km
Distance from Marsabit to Moyale 250 km
Route time on this stretch (4x4) – During dry season 8-9 hours Hours
Class of road Highway Primary Secondary Track
Surface Asphalt Concrete Gravel Dirt
Possible Mud Flooded Snow/Ice conditions
Wet season Car 4x4 Truck access
The road north from Marsabit is generally flat and is no problem until Sololo which is about 80 kms from Moyale From Sololo to Moyale the road surface is gravel or sand/dirt which is very difficult to pass during wet seasons and driving times can be very slow
Mombasa to Lokichoggio The road from the Mombasa to Lokichoggio (via Nairobi) is another principal humanitarian corridor in Kenya as well as being the main overland corridor to South Sudan. In Kenya it serves the districts of Baringo, West Pokot and Turkana, locations where there is considerable humanitarian assistance
Kenya – Transport Corridors: Mombasa to Lokichoggio (Sudan Border)
Origin Destination
Town or city (closest) Mombasa Lokichoggio
Latitude 04° 02’ 47.80” S 04° 26’ 38.00” N
Longitude 39° 38’ 56.00” E 34° 13’ 12.00” E
Total Distance 1,358 km
Jan – Mar Apr – Jun Jul – Sep Oct – Nov
Dry Season 3 - 4 3 - 4 3 - 4 3 - 4 Kenya – Transport Corridors: Mombasa to Lokichoggio (Sudan Border)
Transit time for Wet Season trucks & trailers +10 +10 +10 +10 (Days)
Total route time 4x4 (Days) 2 3 2 3
Car Passable by: 4x4 -over full Truck (rigid) distance Trailer
Section 1: From Kitale to Lodwar
Distance from Mombasa to Kitale 869 kms
Distance from Kitale to Lodwar 297 kms
Route time on this stretch (4x4) – 8 hours Hours
Class of road Highway Primary Secondary Track
Surface Asphalt Concrete Gravel Dirt
Possible Mud Flooded Snow/Ice conditions
Wet season Car 4x4 Truck access
Seasonal Affects on Transport in Eastern and Western Kenya
Primary Road Transport
Kenya has many roads constructed largely of earth that can become impassable during the rain seasons. Obviously this can have a dramatic impact on the road and transport infrastructure but has little or no direct influence on the efficiency of air and rail networks Eastern Kenya
The primary transport of relief commodities to Dadaab refugee camps is hampered every year during the Long and Short rain seasons due to the road's temporary construction standards and its current deteriorated condition between Garissa and Dadaab. Sections of the road are often washed away and trucks often get stuck, sometimes for as much as several weeks
The primary transport from Mombasa to Tana River, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera Districts is via Malindi, Garsen, Hola and Garissa. The road becomes impassable for heavy trucks, particularly between Garsen and Hola, a distance of 91 km. The smaller trucks also face difficulties resulting in long transit time delays
Western Kenya
The road between Ortum, Marich Pass and Lokichar experiences major difficulties at different road sections due to unusual heavy rains in the region. The combination of the lack of maintenance, overloaded trucks and increased traffic over the years due to the humanitarian aid destined for Kakuma (Kenya PRRO operations) and Lokichoggio (South Sudan Operations) has resulted in deterioration of the road in many places
The bridge at Ortum (north of Kitale) is often washed away which creates serious transport delays. In such circumstances a provisional bailey bridge is installed and an earth by-pass road is created to allow traffic to pass, nevertheless, transport problems and delays do persist at Ortum area during the wet seasons
Competition for road capacity is becoming more and more of an issue as South Sudan and D.R. Congo continue to develop. The entry point for almost all commodities for the vast hinterland enters through the Port of Mombasa. There are increasing volumes of containerised freight as well as wheat, fertiliser, cement and other various construction commodities which are required to sustain this development. Previously a lot of this was moved by rail but due to the decline in the railways this is now moved by road so capacity is more of a problem
Fertilizer imports occur predominantly in the first quarter of the year, particularly in February and March, and during July and August and grain imports occur throughout the year. There are also increasing quantities of export commodities such as tea, coffee, sugar, cement, and fertiliser which are attractive commodities for transporters to handle as well as increasing the pressure on an already congested Port of Mombasa