KenyaThe Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda plus Lake Victoria , and Sudan . The capital city is Nairobi. Kenya spans an area about 85% the size of France or Texas...
has a relatively well-developed transport system that compares well with other
counties in the regionEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. Kenya has an extensive network of paved and unpaved roads. The railway system links the nations ports and major cities. A line also connects Kenya with neighbouring
UgandaThe Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania...
. There are 15 airports with paved runways.
Roads in Kenya
Total: 63,265 km (interurban roads)
Paved: 8,933 km
Unpaved: 54,332 km
Note: there also are 100,000 km of rural roads and 14,500 km of urban roads, leading to a national total of 177,765 km (2004)
KenyaThe Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda plus Lake Victoria , and Sudan . The capital city is Nairobi. Kenya spans an area about 85% the size of France or Texas...
has one of the better paved road networks and some of the busiest roads south of the Sahara, but maintenance is often neglected.
There are around 25,000 matatus (
minibusA minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. Minibuses have a seating capacity of between 8 and 30 seats. Larger minibuses may be called midibuses or light buses...
es), which constitute the bulk of the country's
public transportPublic transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire.Public transport services are usually funded by fares charged to each passenger, with varying levels of subsidy...
system.
KenyaThe Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda plus Lake Victoria , and Sudan . The capital city is Nairobi. Kenya spans an area about 85% the size of France or Texas...
has a relatively well-developed transport system that compares well with other
counties in the regionEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. Kenya has an extensive network of paved and unpaved roads. The railway system links the nations ports and major cities. A line also connects Kenya with neighbouring
UgandaThe Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania...
. There are 15 airports with paved runways.
Roads
Roads in Kenya
Total: 63,265 km (interurban roads)
Paved: 8,933 km
Unpaved: 54,332 km
Note: there also are 100,000 km of rural roads and 14,500 km of urban roads, leading to a national total of 177,765 km (2004)
KenyaThe Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda plus Lake Victoria , and Sudan . The capital city is Nairobi. Kenya spans an area about 85% the size of France or Texas...
has one of the better paved road networks and some of the busiest roads south of the Sahara, but maintenance is often neglected.
Bus transport
There are around 25,000 matatus (
minibusA minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. Minibuses have a seating capacity of between 8 and 30 seats. Larger minibuses may be called midibuses or light buses...
es), which constitute the bulk of the country's
public transportPublic transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire.Public transport services are usually funded by fares charged to each passenger, with varying levels of subsidy...
system. In February 2004 the Ministry of Transport introduced new regulations governing the operation of Matatus. These regulations include: the compulsory fitting of safety belts and speed governors. In addition, standing on matatus was banned. As a result of these regulations, many matatus were taken off the road, which caused great disruption to public transport, forcing many people to walk to work. Now the situation has stabilised, and the new regulations have great reduction in the number of people killed and injured in accidents. Due to lax enforcement after the initial push the number of deaths in road accidents has increased in recent years.
The largest bus company in Kenya (Kenya Bus Services) has run into financial difficulties, which has forced them to reduce the number of buses they can operate worsening existing problems with public transport. Although new, smaller, city buses, that offer passengers higher standards of comfort and safety have been introduced on some inner-city routes.
International highways
Two routes in the Trans-African Highway network pass through
KenyaThe Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda plus Lake Victoria , and Sudan . The capital city is Nairobi. Kenya spans an area about 85% the size of France or Texas...
and the capital,
NairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi Province. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters"...
:
- The Cairo-Cape Town Highway
The Cairo-Cape Town Highway is Trans-African Highway 4 in the transcontinental road network being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa , the African Development Bank , and the African Union...
, Trans-African Highway 4, linking North AfricaNorth Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa.Geopolitically, the UN definition of Northern Africa includes the following seven countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia,Mauritania, and...
, East AfricaEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
and Southern AfricaSouthern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
. From Nairobi southwards this is one of the most heavily used routes in the network, and includes one of the longest complete paved sections. However, it still has missing links to the north and it is not practical to travel to Cairo without off-road vehicles.
- The Lagos-Mombasa Highway
The Lagos-Mombasa Highway is Trans-African Highway 8 and is principal road route between West and East Africa...
, Trans-African Highway 8, links East AfricaEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
and West AfricaWest Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries distributed over an area of approximately 5 million square km:*Benin...
. It is only complete between the Ugandan–DR Congo border and Mombasa, linking the African Great LakesThe Great Lakes of Africa are a series of lakes in and around the geographic Great Rift Valley formed by the action of the tectonic East African Rift. They include Lake Victoria, the second largest fresh water lake in the world in terms of surface area, and Lake Tanganyika, the world's second...
region to the sea. It is referred to as the 'Trans-African Highway'.
Airports - with paved runways
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Jomo Kenyatta International AirportJomo Kenyatta International Airport, formerly called Embakasi Airport and Nairobi International Airport, is Kenya's largest aviation facility, and the busiest airport in Eastern Africa. It is the 6th busiest airport in Africa...
, located in
NairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi Province. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters"...
, is Kenya's largest airport and serves the most destinations.
Some international flights go to
Moi International AirportMoi International Airport , also Mombasa Airport, serves the city of Mombasa, and is the second most important airport in Kenya after Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. It is located in the township of Port Reitz....
in
MombasaMombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean. It has a major port and an international airport. The city is the centre of the coastal tourism industry. The original Arabic name is Manbasa; in Swahili it is called Kisiwa Cha Mvita , which means "Island of War", due to the...
.
Kisumu AirportKisumu Airport is an airport in Kisumu, Kenya .It is the third busiest airport in Kenya despite the fact that it doesn't offer international services, unlike the Eldoret International Airport.-Airlines and destinations:*East African Safari Air...
will be upgraded to an international airport in 2008.
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 210
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 115
under 914 m: 84 (2006)
Many airports with unpaved runways serve private purposes, such as private game parks and safari lodges, but are still serviced by airlines like
AirKenyaAirkenya Express is an airline based in Nairobi, Kenya. It operates domestic scheduled and charter services, as well as scheduled flights to Tanzania. Its main base is Wilson Airport, Nairobi.- History :...
Railways
See also: Rail transport in KenyaThe former Uganda Railway, was run by the company East African Railways jointly for the countries of Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya after WWI. Since the dissolution of the EAR corporation in 1977 the national company Kenya Railways Corporation runs the former Uganda Railway and its branches in Kenya...
Total:
Metre gaugeMetre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . It is used in many regions, including:*Asia** South-east Asia*** Vietnam*** Malaysia*** Thailand *** Burma...
: 2,778 km gauge
The former
Uganda RailwayThe Uganda Railway is a historical railway system linking the interiors of Uganda and Kenya to the Indian Ocean at Mombasa in Kenya.- Origins :...
, was run by the company
East African RailwaysThe East African Railways and Harbours Corporation evolved from the Uganda Railway in Kenya and Uganda and the railways of Tanganyika between the World War I and 1977 when the East African Community dissolved....
. It jointly served the present countries of
UgandaThe Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania...
,
TanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in central East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.The United...
and
KenyaThe Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda plus Lake Victoria , and Sudan . The capital city is Nairobi. Kenya spans an area about 85% the size of France or Texas...
. Since the dissolution of the EAR corporation in 1977, the national company Kenya Railways Corporation runs the former Uganda Railway and its branches in Kenya. The most important line in the country runs between the port of
MombasaMombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean. It has a major port and an international airport. The city is the centre of the coastal tourism industry. The original Arabic name is Manbasa; in Swahili it is called Kisiwa Cha Mvita , which means "Island of War", due to the...
and
NairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi Province. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters"...
, sleeping car accommodation is offered for tourists.
In 2006, the
Rift Valley Railways ConsortiumThe Rift Valley Railways Consortium is a consortium that has been established to manage the parastatal railways of Kenya and Uganda.The consortium won the bid for private management of the century-old Kenya-Uganda railway in 2005...
led by South African companies took over the operation of the Kenyan and Ugandan railway network on a contract lasting 25 years, with the opportunity of renewal. After criticism from the Kenya Railways Corporation, RVR doubled the frequency of service, and also imposed restrictions to reduce train derailments caused by the ageing infrastructure.
RVR run passenger trains within Kenya only, primarily from
NairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi Province. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters"...
to
MombasaMombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean. It has a major port and an international airport. The city is the centre of the coastal tourism industry. The original Arabic name is Manbasa; in Swahili it is called Kisiwa Cha Mvita , which means "Island of War", due to the...
but also to local towns such as
KisumuKisumu is a port city in western Kenya at , with a population of 355,024 . It is the third largest city in Kenya, the principal city of western Kenya, the capital of Nyanza Province and the headquarters of Kisumu District. It has no municipal charter...
. Passenger services on these lines are offered on peak periods only. Freight services are the bulk of RVR's operations.
In 2008, agreements were made with Uganda about gauge standardisation.
Railway links with adjacent countries
Ethiopia- Railways :total:* 681 km , all narrow gauge* note: At present the railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia, but negotiations are underway to privatize this transport utility....
- no - same gauge
SomaliaTransport in Somalia includes a network of highways, and several ports. There are now no railways in Somalia, and the country possesses no merchant marine....
- no railways
SudanTransport in Sudan during the early 1990s included an extensive railroad system that served the more important populated areas except in the far south, a meager road network , a natural inland waterway—the Nile River and its tributaries—and a national airline that provided both...
- no - proposed link to
Juba, SudanJuba is a city in Sudan, the regional capital of Southern Sudan and the capital of the Sudanese state of Central Equatoria.- Population :In 2005 its population was 163,442. Based on analysis of aerial photos, the best estimate of several donors working in Juba estimate the 2006 population at...
(2005)
break-of-gaugeWith railways, a break-of-gauge is where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
/
TanzaniaTransport in Tanzania is mainly by road, supplemented by rail. Tanzania's road network, is of limited quality and not many roads are tarmacked. Dirt roads become impassible during the rainy season and can remain impassable for days, or, more often, weeks. The only reliable surface connection from...
- same gauge - maybe defunct
Uganda- Railways :Total:1,241 km
metre gauge:1,241 km gauge
note:A program to rehabilitate the railway started in , however much of the railway is inoperative.- Railway links with adjacent countries :...
- yes - same gauge -
Waterways
Part of the
Lake VictoriaLake Victoria or Victoria Nyanza is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named after the United Kingdom's Queen Victoria, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to see the lake....
system is within the boundaries of Kenya. Kenya has a major international port at
MombasaMombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean. It has a major port and an international airport. The city is the centre of the coastal tourism industry. The original Arabic name is Manbasa; in Swahili it is called Kisiwa Cha Mvita , which means "Island of War", due to the...
, serving both Kenya and Uganda.
Merchant Marine
Total:" 3 ships (with a volume of or over) /
By type:
passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tankerAn oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
1
Registered in other countries: 6 (2006)
Ports and harbors
MombasaMombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean. It has a major port and an international airport. The city is the centre of the coastal tourism industry. The original Arabic name is Manbasa; in Swahili it is called Kisiwa Cha Mvita , which means "Island of War", due to the...
has the only commercial port that reaches international standards. Mombasa's commercial port is called
Kilindini HarbourKilindini Harbour is a large, natural deep-water inlet extending inland from Mombasa, Kenya. It serves as the harbour for Mombasa, with a hinterland extending to Uganda and Sudan. Kilindini Harbour is the main part of the Port of Mombasa, the only international seaport in Kenya. It is managed by...
and is run by the
Kenya Ports AuthorityKenya Ports Authority is a state corporation with the responsibility to "maintain, operate, improve and regulate all scheduled seaports" on the Indian Ocean coastline of Kenya, including principally Kilindini Harbour at Mombasa. Other KPA ports include Lamu, Malindi, Kilifi, Mtwapa, Kiunga,...
, it lies on the
Indian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by South Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean...
.
There are plans to build another international port in
LamuLamu town is the largest town on Lamu Island, which in turn is a part of the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya.Lamu town is also the headquarters of Lamu District and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:...
to the north east of Mombassa.
There is an
inland portThe term inland port is used in two different but related ways to mean either a port on an inland waterway or an inland site carrying out some functions of a seaport.- As a port on an inland waterway :...
at
KisumuKisumu is a port city in western Kenya at , with a population of 355,024 . It is the third largest city in Kenya, the principal city of western Kenya, the capital of Nyanza Province and the headquarters of Kisumu District. It has no municipal charter...
which serves
Lake VictoriaLake Victoria or Victoria Nyanza is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named after the United Kingdom's Queen Victoria, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to see the lake....
.
Pipelines
transporting Petroleum products, 483 km - possible extension to
UgandaBurning of renewable resources provides much of the energy in Uganda, though the government is attempting to become energy self-sufficient. While much of the hydroelectric potential of the country is untapped, the government decision to expedite creation of domestic petroleum capacity coupled with...
See also
- Matatu
- Kenya
The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda plus Lake Victoria , and Sudan . The capital city is Nairobi. Kenya spans an area about 85% the size of France or Texas...
- Akamba bus
- East African Railway Master Plan
The East African Railway Master Plan is a proposal for rejuvenating existing railways serving Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and extending them initially to Rwanda and Burundi and eventually to Sudan, Ethiopia and beyond...
- Lake Victoria ferries
The Lake Victoria ferries are and were steam- and diesel-powered ships used for freight and passenger transport between Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya on Lake Victoria...
External links
State corporations that regulate transport