By The Port Brief
East Africa is entering a new phase of economic integration as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and their neighbours accelerate investments in modern transport corridors designed to cut cargo costs, improve connectivity and strengthen regional trade.
The region’s transport network is centred on three strategic corridors — the Northern Corridor through Kenya, the Central Corridor through Tanzania and the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor — each competing to become a critical gateway for landlocked markets.
At the heart of the transformation is the expansion of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) networks, alongside highways, dry ports, border facilities and multimodal logistics hubs intended to move cargo more efficiently from seaports to markets across East and Central Africa.
Northern Corridor
The Northern Corridor remains one of the region’s most important trade arteries, linking the Port of Mombasa to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Its development is coordinated through the Northern Corridor Integration Project (NCIP), launched in 2013 by Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, while the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Agreement provides a framework for trade facilitation and harmonisation of customs procedures.
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A major development is the construction of the 107-kilometre Kisumu-Malaba SGR section, which Kenya and Uganda commenced in March 2026.
Uganda is also implementing the approximately 272-kilometre Malaba-Kampala SGR section and has plans to extend the railway towards Kasese and Mpondwe, creating a potential connection with the DRC.
The country is also looking at the Tororo-Gulu-Nimule route towards Juba in South Sudan, further expanding the Northern Corridor’s reach.
Experts estimate that the shift of heavy cargo from roads to railway could reduce transportation costs significantly while cutting transit times, giving businesses across the region a more competitive logistics environment
Road infrastructure is being developed alongside the railway network. With support from the African Development Bank, a 193-kilometre Kenya-Uganda highway project is expected to improve connectivity between Kisumu-Busia and Kakira-Malaba.
The project also includes the modernisation of border crossings at Busia, Malaba and Lwakhakha through One Stop Border Posts, designed to reduce delays by allowing border agencies from neighbouring countries to undertake coordinated clearance procedures.
Tanzania’s Central Corridor
The Central Corridor, anchored by the Port of Dar es Salaam, provides an alternative gateway for Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi, eastern DRC and Uganda.
Tanzania is positioning itself as a major regional logistics hub through investments in rail, ports and inland cargo-handling facilities.
The country has already commissioned the 460-kilometre Dar es Salaam-Dodoma SGR section, while construction continues on additional sections intended to extend the railway towards Burundi, Rwanda and the DRC.
Another major development is the Kwala logistics hub and dry port, designed to ease pressure on Dar es Salaam port, accelerate cargo handling and provide landlocked countries with improved access to logistics facilities.
The corridor is also embracing multimodal transport, with rail connectivity to port operations expected to strengthen the movement of cargo between Dar es Salaam and inland destinations.
This expansion has intensified competition between the Northern and Central corridors, with both seeking to offer faster, cheaper and more reliable routes to some of Africa’s fastest-growing markets.
LAPSSET’s Untapped Potential
Further north, Kenya’s LAPSSET Corridor remains one of the region’s most ambitious infrastructure projects.
The corridor is designed to connect Lamu Port with Ethiopia and South Sudan through an integrated network of roads, railways, pipelines and logistics facilities.
Lamu Port began operations in 2021 and has attracted billions of dollars in investment. However, the facility has faced challenges in attracting sufficient cargo volumes to fully realise its potential.
Kenya is now looking to revive activity along the corridor through additional infrastructure, including plans for a dry port at Moyale on the Kenya-Ethiopia border and a proposed ferry crossing on Lake Turkana.
These projects are expected to improve connectivity in northern Kenya while strengthening trade links with Ethiopia and South Sudan.
One of the most significant potential catalysts for LAPSSET is the proposed development of a large oil-refining complex near Lamu. Such an investment could generate a steady stream of cargo and stimulate demand for the corridor’s transport and logistics infrastructure.
However, questions surrounding financing and reliable supplies of raw materials remain critical challenges for the project.
Battle for East Africa’s Trade
The rapid development of the three corridors signals a broader shift in East Africa’s approach to trade and infrastructure.
Rather than relying solely on traditional road transport, governments are investing in integrated systems combining railways, highways, ports, dry ports, border facilities and logistics centres.
The Northern and Central corridors currently appear to be the most advanced in terms of active development, while LAPSSET retains considerable strategic potential if it secures major anchor investments and sufficient cargo volumes.
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International financing and partnerships, including Chinese involvement under the Belt and Road Initiative, are expected to remain important in supporting large-scale infrastructure development.
For East Africa, the stakes are high. More efficient transport corridors could lower the cost of doing business, shorten delivery times, expand cross-border trade and strengthen the region’s position as a connected economic bloc.
As railway lines stretch deeper into the hinterland and ports compete for regional cargo, the battle to control East Africa’s trade gateways is increasingly becoming a battle to build the fastest, cheapest and most reliable route from the coast to the continent’s interior