By Michelle Ndaga
A regional infrastructure financing conference will be held in Kampala, Uganda, from October 20 to 21, 2025, to mobilize funding and partnerships for the Kenya–Uganda Multinational Expressway Project, a major transport corridor aimed at enhancing cross-border connectivity and trade.
The 193-kilometre expressway will link Kisumu–Busia in Kenya to Kakira–Malaba in Uganda, forming a vital segment of the Northern Corridor that connects the Port of Mombasa to Kampala, Kigali, and Juba. The project is expected to significantly reduce travel time, logistics costs, and congestion along one of East Africa’s busiest trade routes.
The Kampala conference will bring together representatives from the Kenyan and Ugandan governments, regional economic blocs such as the East African Community (EAC), development partners, and private investors. Discussions will focus on innovative financing mechanisms, including public private partnerships (PPPs), concessional loans, and infrastructure bonds.
Officials from both countries have emphasized that the expressway is critical for promoting regional integration, economic growth, and intra-African trade. Once completed, it is expected to ease cargo movement, improve road safety, and attract industrial investments along the corridor.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport is expected to lead the Kenyan delegation, while Uganda’s Minister of Works and Transport will host the event. Development agencies including the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank are also anticipated to participate.
The Kenya–Uganda expressway forms part of the EAC’s broader plan to modernize regional infrastructure and support the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agenda. Both governments are optimistic that the upcoming conference will accelerate financing commitments and move the project closer to implementation.
