Abstract
Kenya celebrated her 50 years of independence on the 12th December 2013 with economic and policy analysts jotting that in that period the economy had grown nine times. It is a proven fact that development and maintenance of physical infrastructure are prerequisites for rapid economic growth and poverty reduction, as they influence production costs, employment creation, access to markets, and investment. Despite being considered an economic powerhouse in the East and parts of Central Africa Economic block, the size of the roads network, which is perceived to be fairly well developed, has suffered from numerous setbacks. Among these are; inadequate maintenance, repair and rehabilitation (MR&R), and the fragmentation of the institutional framework within which it is managed. This paper aims to provide a review of challenges the Kenyan government has faced on its road network, the impact of the state of the road network on productivity and growth, and the interventions proposed within the 50 years of her independence. This paper is based on an exploratory review of literature on the state of road networks and its effects on Kenya productivity and growth. Inferences from the reviewed literature indicate that the state of road network in Kenya causes delays, breakages and high maintenance cost for transport machinery, leading to high costs of doing business. This has resulted in the concentration of industries in areas with good road network thus creating disparities in regional industrial development. However, the government of Kenya has been developing road polices to improve on the road network. Given that the findings reported herein are inferences deduced from material reported in literature, the factual correctness of some of the intricate indices may not be explicitly verified. However, the general facts may be implied by the existing state of affairs. The paper presents the identified probable causes that have slowed the development of road network in Kenya including their effects and interventions proposed or implemented by the government of Kenya. It expresses an objective overview on literary discourse around the road network in Kenya. The study advocates for policies that will lead the country to achieve her development strategic plan of Vision 2030 on road network development, which the authors view as a catalyst to address the endemic systemic inadequacies that have stifled prudent infrastructure management strategies in the past 50 years of independence.