NAIROBI, Kenya- Kenya’s road agencies built 2,584.25 kilometres of roads between the 2022/23 and 2025/26 financial years, down 62 per cent from the 6,813 kilometres constructed in the previous four-year period, official figures show.
The data covers roads built by the Kenya National Highways Authority, Kenya Urban Roads Authority and Kenya Rural Roads Authority.
Annual construction averaged 646 kilometres in the latest period, compared with 1,703 kilometres a year in the preceding four years.
Construction has begun to recover after a sharp drop in the first year of the period.
The agencies built 495 kilometres in 2022/23, down from 1,729 kilometres the previous year.
Output later rose to 542 kilometres, 761.25 kilometres and 786 kilometres in the following financial years.
The latest increase was 24.75 kilometres, or 3.25 per cent, but construction remained 54.5 per cent below the 2021/22 level.
The figures put the government’s road-building targets in focus.
President William Ruto announced plans in March to build 28,000 kilometres of tarmac roads over 10 years, alongside 2,500 kilometres of dual carriageways.
Those are future targets; the latest construction figures measure roads built during the four financial years to June 2026.
Fuel levy pledged to fund roads
The slowdown came as the government grappled with road-sector commitments and delayed payments to contractors. It has turned to securitisation of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund, using a portion of future fuel levy collections to raise money for pending bills and road works.
The levy rose from Sh18 to Sh25 per litre of petrol and diesel in July 2024.
The government later committed Sh12 from each Sh25 collected per litre to servicing financing raised through securitisation.
The State Department for Roads says the funding helped settle certified contractor bills and support stalled projects.
Road maintenance also improved last financial year: the distance covered rose 18.5 per cent to 31,105.56 kilometres.
But that was still 24 per cent below the 40,988 kilometres maintained in the year to June 2022.
The data shows a modest rebound in new construction, but the annual pace remains far below the level recorded before the current four-year period.
The challenge for the government is to turn its financing plans and long-term targets into completed roads while keeping existing routes in maintainable condition.
