Nairobi–Mombasa Road alone, 3,179 people lost their lives in traffic accidents on the combined Mombasa–Malaba Road. The government of Kenya has plans to expand the road to dual carriage, with a total of six lanes outside Mombasa Island, increasing the number of lanes to twelve, on the island itself. It is expected that solicitation of bids from funders and contractors will be announced before the end of calendar 2016. When completed, the road will become Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway The following towns, listed from west towards the east, are located along the highway: The following major intersections lie along the Nairobi–Mombasa Road, listed from
Mombasa Mombasa Island. Importantly, both of these names have linguistic and spiritual connections with Central Africa. "Mkisi" is considered the personification of "ukisi" which means "the holy" in kiKongo. "Kongowea" can similarly be interpreted as the Swahili locative of "kongo" which denotes the essence of civilizational order in central Africa. These legends can be read as an acknowledgment of the Bantu-speaking origins of the Swahili people. Shehe Mvita superseded the dynasty of Mwana Mkisi and established the first permanent stone mosque on Mombasa Island. Mombasa's oldest extant stone mosque, Mnara, was built c. 1300. Shehe Mvita is remembered as a Muslim