The East African Community (EAC), in partnership with the governments of Kenya and Uganda and the African Development Bank (AfDB), will host a market sounding conference between October 20 and 21, 2025, in Kampala to explore financing options for the 193-kilometre Kenya-Uganda Multinational Expressway Project.
The project will link Kakira-Malaba in Uganda to Busia-Kisumu in Kenya.
The expressway is a flagship project aimed at enhancing regional trade, transport efficiency, and cross-border integration through the Northern Transport Corridor.
It will also upgrade major border posts, Busia, Malaba, and Lwakhakha, into modern One Stop Border Posts to ease the movement of goods and people across the region.
‘This project is not just about building a road; it is about creating a modern, safe, and efficient transport artery that connects businesses, people, and opportunities across East Africa,’ said EAC deputy secretary general for infrastructure, planning, productive, social, and political sectors, Andrea Ariik Malueth.
The Market Sounding Conference, he said, will be a turning point in the efforts to build a strategy for sustainable infrastructure development through private sector funding, transforming trade, strengthening regional integration, and unlocking opportunities for millions of our citizens.
Strategic platform
The conference will provide a strategic platform for governments, financiers, and development partners to engage on the Kenya-Uganda Expressway Project, which is being developed as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
Participants will review the findings of detailed feasibility studies, including traffic forecasts, engineering designs, and environmental and social impact assessments.
A key highlight will be the presentation of the Bankability Report, outlining project cost estimates and proposing viable PPP financing models.
‘There will be ample opportunity for rich dialogue on how to mobilize resources effectively and sustainably,’ noted Malueth.
Beyond the technical presentations, the conference will invite investors, bilateral donors, and development finance institutions to shape the project’s overall bankability and ensure it delivers long-term value.
Discussions will focus on how the expressway is expected to transform regional connectivity by reducing transport costs, facilitating cross-border trade, and accelerating economic growth across the EAC region.
The event will also seek to align stakeholder priorities on the project’s implementation roadmap, paving the way for an integrated transport corridor that supports trade, investment, and inclusive development in East Africa.