The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has unveiled the full scope of a proposed 180-kilometre highway that is expected to transform the economic and transport landscape of Western Kenya.
The mega infrastructure project will traverse five counties - Busia, Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, and Migori - and is estimated to cost Ksh70 billion.
According to KeNHA Nyanza Regional Director Julius MakOderoh, the road will be one of the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the region. It is set to open up parts of the country that are currently underserved, with many roads still in poor condition.
The road will start in Bunyala, on the outskirts of Busia town, along the A12 (Mau Summit-Kericho-Busia Road). From there, it will head westward through Funyula Sub-county, with a spur road leading to Sio Port. It will then cut across the Yala Swamp, skirting its edges into Uyoma and offering another spur road to Osieko Beach and Luanda Kotieno in South Uyoma.
From Uyoma, the road will proceed to Asembo and Seme before rejoining the A12 near Kisumu International Airport. At Ahero, the route veers southward toward Katito and continues to Kendu Bay, making a 30-kilometre loop around the scenic Homa Hills before linking up with the B2 road at God Bondo, approximately 10 kilometres from Homa Bay town.
From there, the road will move through Luanda Centre and adopt the B2 Homa Bay-Mbita route to Gwassi Hills, continuing for another 120 kilometres all the way to Muhuru Bay on the shores of Lake Victoria.
The road will feature a seven-metre-wide carriageway with two-metre-wide shoulders on either side to accommodate non-motorised traffic in rural areas.
In urban sections, where the road passes through trading centres, KeNHA has incorporated non-motorised transport (NMT) facilities such as footpaths and lined drains. The authority is currently seeking funding from development partners for the Lake Victoria Ring Road, with construction targeted for the next financial year.
Treasury CS John Mbadi confirmed in a May interview with digital publishers that the government had already submitted a funding proposal to the World Bank. He revealed that the government had decided to add the Kisumu – Busia highway to the ring road.
MakOderoh noted that the project would open up several fish landing sites and ports that are currently inaccessible or not connected by tarmacked roads. He added that major spur roads will link beaches and communities that have long been neglected in national infrastructure planning.
Once completed, the road is expected to significantly boost the blue economy, especially fishing and lake transport, while enhancing inter-county trade and mobility. The improved connectivity is also projected to attract tourism and investment to the region’s natural and cultural heritage sites.
“This is the single largest infrastructure project ever conceptualised for the Western region,” said MakOderoh. “When completed, it will change the livelihoods of around six million people in the region, and potentially benefit the entire Lake Region Economic Bloc, which is home to about 10 million people.”
“The benefits will not only be to Kenya. It will encourage regional integration with Tanzania to the south and Uganda to the west,” he added.
The project comes amid ongoing national efforts to enhance infrastructure development in historically marginalised regions, to foster inclusive economic growth.
