List of Top 10 Counties With Smallest Tarmacked Rural Roads Network in Kenya in 2026
A 2026 Economic Survey reveals significant infrastructure disparities in Kenya, with Mandera County having zero kilometers of paved rural roads. While the total rural road network has expanded, the vast majority of new additions remain unpaved.
Why it matters
The report highlights persistent regional inequality in infrastructure development, which is critical for economic growth and connectivity in rural Kenya.
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Elijah Ntongai is an experienced editor at TUKO.co.ke, with more than four years in financial, business, labour and technology research and reporting. His work provides valuable insights into Kenyan, African, and global trends.
Mandera County has no paved rural roads whatsoever, according to the Economic Survey 2026, placing it at the bottom of a national ranking that exposes deep infrastructure inequalities between Kenya's counties.
President William Ruto launching the upgrading to bitumen standards of the 41 km Bukembe–Nzoia Market–Mutomolo Road (C1311/C811). Photo: KRRA. Source: Facebook The survey found that Kenya's total Class C rural road network grew from 18,321 kilometres in 2024 to 28,150 kilometres in 2025, largely because of the identification and mapping of previously unrecorded roads.
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