Survey tracks 2,400km in road upgrades
More than 2,400 kilometres of road were either maintained or graded during the past year.
Kenya is pushing ahead with major investments in its road network, with new data from the Economic Survey 2025 showing major growth in road coverage, improved surfaces and ongoing construction projects across the country.
The survey, released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday, shows that more than 2,400 kilometres of road were either maintained or graded during the past year.
"A total of 2,456.7 kilometres were maintained or graded at an estimated cost of Sh255.2 billion," the report reveals.
The massive works took place in all counties except Lamu, pointing to the national scale of road expansion and improvement.
By June last year, Kenya had a total road length of 239,000 kilometres, made up of 165,000 kilometres of classified roads and 74,000 kilometres of unclassified roads.
One of the biggest gains reported in the survey was the doubling of superhighway length, which now stands at 365 kilometres.
This growth followed the reclassification of key roads such as the Dongo Kundu bypass, the Kipevu Link Road and the Nairobi Southern Bypass into Class S superhighways.
The survey shows an additional 1,000 kilometres of roads were surfaced with bitumen in 2024, raising the total to 24,000 kilometres from 23,000 the previous year.
Primary and national trunk roads under bitumen also increased by 9.1% to reach 21,000 kilometres, reflecting the government’s sustained investment in improving the condition and durability of its main transport arteries.
At the same time, the road budget has seen a sharp rise. "The total budget for roads is expected to increase by 29.1% to Sh171.9 billion in 2024/25," the survey states.
Road development, the report explains, continues to be a key factor in promoting economic activity and improving movement across different parts of the country.
"Road development plays a crucial role in enhancing connectivity, promoting economic growth and facilitating trade and mobility," the report adds.
Funds for development work alone are projected to grow from Sh66.7 billion in 2023/24 to Sh102.4 billion this financial year. Maintenance and repair costs have also gone up slightly by 4.5%, reaching Sh69.5 billion.
Upgrading low volume sealed roads (LVSR) to bitumen standard continues to be a focus of the government’s infrastructure strategy, the survey says.
These efforts are meant to link rural and urban areas better and improve access to services and markets by replacing gravel and earth roads with long-lasting bitumen surfaces.
Several major road projects are highlighted in the survey.
Among them is the 453-kilometre Lamu-Ijara-Garissa Road, which is estimated to cost Sh18 billion and was 52% complete by the end of 2024.
Another major project is the 8.96-kilometre Mombasa Port Area Development Project (MPARD) Phase 2 road, covering the Mwache-Mteza section.
This road, expected to cost Sh24.3 billion, had reached 93.1% completion during the review period.
The Isebania–Kisii road was almost done, with completion at 98.1%, while the Kulamawe-Modogashe road stood at 24.7% completion.
Other infrastructure works included the 2.8-kilometre Miritini Meter Gauge Railway-Mombasa Terminus and Makupa Causeway, which had achieved 98% completion for Sh4.8 billion.
Progress was also noted on the Riruta/Lenana-Ngong railway line. Covering 12.5 kilometres, this project was 12% complete by the end of 2024 and is estimated to cost Sh1.23 billion.