Malindi Road upgrade: How better roads are changing life for Tuk Tuk drivers

Patrick has spent about a decade using Malindi Road, long enough to remember when congestion, potholes and breakdowns could turn a relatively short journey into a frustrating wait.

The road was narrow in places, he says, and vehicles would overlap while trying to get through.

Accidents were common, while a single stalled vehicle could quickly send traffic into a standstill.

For someone earning from every trip, that lost time had a price.

Now, sections of the road that have already been completed are wider and smoother. Patrick says he can move passengers faster, return to the road sooner and make more trips during the day.

A bigger road than the daily commute

What Patrick sees from his tuk-tuk seat is part of a much larger road project.

The Mombasa – Malindi corridor forms part of the Multinational Bagamoyo – Tanga – Horohoro/Lunga Lunga – Malindi Road Project, a regional transport programme designed to strengthen connectivity, trade and tourism between Kenya and Tanzania.

The project is being financed by the African Development Bank, European Union and the Government of Kenya, at an overall cost of about Ksh15 billion.

The Mombasa – Mtwapa section is one of the major components, alongside works extending towards Kilifi and Malindi.

The wider corridor has faced delays linked partly to land acquisition, with compensation efforts intended to clear the way for faster construction.

That means the benefits are expected to go beyond smoother passenger trips.

Better road capacity can reduce travel delays for commuters and commercial vehicles while making it easier for goods to move between Mombasa, Kilifi and the wider Coast.

For a tuk-tuk driver, time is income

Patrick’s experience illustrates the simplest economics of urban transport.

A driver who spends less time sitting in traffic has more time available to carry passengers.

Faster turnaround can increase the number of trips completed in a day, while smoother roads can reduce some of the wear and tear associated with potholes and poor surfaces.

That does not automatically guarantee higher earnings – fuel, competition, passenger demand and operating costs still matter.

But Patrick says the improvement has already made his working day easier.

And he is looking beyond the sections that are complete.

The ambition is for the whole route to work better

Mombasa’s long-term transport planning has identified widening the Mombasa – Malindi road and Old Malindi Road as important measures for improving movement across the city and northern mainland.

Existing urban road plans have also identified the need for better facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized users.

Patrick hopes the remaining sections will eventually deliver the same experience he is already seeing in the upgraded portions: less congestion, faster journeys and fewer delays.

For him, the end goal is personal.

He wants to add more tuk-tuks, increase his income and give his children better opportunities, including paying their school fees.

That is the part of infrastructure investment that rarely appears in project documents.