Kenya moved five slots up to 133 in 2020 from 137 in 2017 in the latest Global Connectedness Index (GCI) report 2020 by the German Giant company DHL (Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn).
According to the report this was brought about by an increase in international trade, digital connectivity which facilitated information flows and capital flows.
The rise of the rankings was also boosted by multi-billion infrastructural projects that have transformed the country's transport sector.
Megaprojects on the forefront include Ksh 31 billion Thika Road, Ksh 327 billion Standard Gauge Railway, ongoing Ksh 59 billion Nairobi Expressway and Ksh 2.5 trillion Lamu Port-South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lappset) corridor project.
In August, the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) shared a report that revealed an increase of 7.2 percent in terms of transshipment handled in the Mombasa Port compared to 4 percent handled in the previous year.
Furthermore, the Nairobi-Thika Superhighway, launched in November 2012, has brought about significant trade boosts within the country.
Experts view the Lapsset Corridor project as a major boost towards Kenya’s status as a transport and regional hub. It involves a railway, a highway, a crude oil pipeline and a fibre optic cable connecting Kenya with Ethiopia, Uganda and South Sudan.
The ongoing Nairobi Expressway, a four-lane dual carriageway, is also expected to become an engineering masterpiece, according to various reports.
The highway is meant to decongest the Nairobi metropolitan area by providing faster, reliable and less costly transport.
The seventh edition of the GCI report aimed at providing a comprehensive assessment of globalization in the world despite the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ethiopia emerged as the top East African Country scooping position 129 in the global rankings.
