Northern Corridor: Mombasa to Kampala
- Mombasa to Kampala by road
- 1,169 km 1
- Road transit time, January to June 2026
- 118 hours average, 70-hour target 1
- Road transit time, 2024
- 105 hours 3
- Mombasa to Naivasha by standard gauge railway
- 592 km 3
- Mombasa to Malaba by metre gauge railway
- 1,082.18 km 3
- Rail rate, Mombasa to Malaba, 2024
- US$860 to US$960 per 20 ft, US$1,110 to US$1,260 per 40 ft 3
- Mombasa port container dwell time, 2025
- 106.7 hours, 48-hour target 2
- Uganda transit cargo through Mombasa, 2025
- 10,915,439 tonnes, 68.7% of transit cargo 2
Road distances and transit times
The Northern Corridor Transport Observatory tracks trucks with the Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System. Its report for January to June 2026 gives these road distances and average times 1. The target is 60 hours per 1,000 km 1.
The same report gives 217 km for Malaba to Kampala and 236 km for Kampala to Malaba 1. Trucks from the Inland Container Depot in Nairobi took 98 hours to reach Kampala, against a 41-hour target 1.
Rail: standard gauge and metre gauge
The standard gauge railway runs 592 km from Mombasa to Naivasha. The older metre gauge main line runs 1,082.18 km from Mombasa to Malaba 3. A 272 km standard gauge line from Malaba to Kampala is under development. Uganda launched the work in November 2024 3.
Kenya's standard gauge railway carried 7,425,981 tonnes and 391,333 TEUs in 2025, up 14% from 6.53 million tonnes in 2024 2. Uganda's metre gauge railway carried 1,277,713 tonnes, or 92,008 TEUs, in 2025 2. The Naivasha Inland Container Depot handled 8,170 TEUs in 2025, against a capacity of 120,000 TEUs a year 2.
Rail and road rates
The observatory report for 2024 gives these Kenya Railways rates 3. It says tankers were charged US$2,200 from Mombasa to Kampala, without stating the unit 3. Road freight from Mombasa to destinations in Kenya and Uganda averaged US$1.8 per km in 2024 3. The 2025 report gives US$1.8 to US$2.4 per km on key routes in Kenya and Uganda 2.
Kenya Railways raised freight charges by 12% after higher fuel prices, as reported by Anthony Kitimo in The East African on 21 May 2026 4. The same report says the corporation adopted a pricing formula in April 2026 tied to monthly fuel price changes 4.
Time in Mombasa port
Containers spent an average of 106.7 hours in Mombasa port in 2025, more than double the 48-hour target 2. Customs release took 57 hours on average and the time after release took 79 hours 2. Import container dwell time was 105 hours from January to June 2026, against 104 hours a year earlier 1.
A Northern Corridor time release study found that goods cleared under the Single Customs Territory left Mombasa port within 13.5 hours of offloading. Home use goods took over 72 hours and other transit goods over 144 hours 7. Port charges are set by the Kenya Ports Authority, which posts tariff notices on its website 8.
Road charges, bonds and clearance
- COMESA harmonised road transit charges are US$10 per 100 km for trucks with more than three axles and US$6 per 100 km for trucks with up to three axles. Kenya and Uganda are among the countries listed as using them 5.
- Kenya and Uganda were fully operational in the COMESA RCTG Carnet regional transit bond in 2022 6.
- Under the Single Customs Territory, taxes are paid in the destination country and goods move under a single regional bond from the port 9.
- Average Kenyan weighbridge crossing times were about 4 minutes in 2025, with compliance above 95% 2.
Common questions
How far is Kampala from Mombasa by road?
1,169 km, according to the Northern Corridor Transport Observatory 1.
How long does a truck take from Mombasa to Kampala?
An average of 118 hours from January to June 2026, against a 70-hour target 1.
Does the standard gauge railway reach Kampala?
No. It runs 592 km from Mombasa to Naivasha. A Malaba to Kampala line is under development 3.
What does rail freight from Mombasa to Malaba cost?
Kenya Railways charged US$860 to US$960 for a 20-foot container and US$1,110 to US$1,260 for a 40-foot container in 2024 3. Charges rose 12% in 2026, as reported by The East African 4.
Where are Ugandan import taxes paid under the Single Customs Territory?
In Uganda, the destination country, in its national currency 9.
Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.
Sources
- Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority: Northern Corridor Transport Observatory biannual report, January to June 2026 (2026)
- NCTTCA and TradeMark Africa: Northern Corridor Transport Observatory Report 2025, 21st edition (2026)
- NCTTCA and TradeMark Africa: Northern Corridor Transport Observatory Report, 20th edition, covering 2024 (2025)
- The East African: Transporters feel the heat as diesel costs push Kenya Railways freight charges up, by Anthony Kitimo (21 May 2026)
- COMESA: Trade facilitation programme, road transit charges and RCTG Carnet (accessed 20 October 2026)
- COMESA: RCTG Carnet presentation, WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement database (16 June 2023)
- NCTTCA: Goods under Single Customs Territory are cleared faster than those under Home use and Transit regimes (undated, reports a 2018 time release study)
- Kenya Ports Authority: official website, tariffs and customer notices
- Kenya Revenue Authority: Single Customs Territory FAQs (accessed 20 October 2026)
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