I did the route you describe around 9 months ago. The road north of Nairobi is fine until Isiolo, then graded dirt until Marsabit. Things were rough after Marsabit, deep ruts in gravel. I had to go with an army convoy from Sololo to Moyale due to some folks being robbed by heavily armed bandits (shifta) the week prior to my ride there. There are some rough roads in the Tanzania section, though I encountered no sand. Road conditions change very quickly as graders and bulldozers are often at work smoothing things out- or sometimes making things worse in my mind! There are a number of refugee camps in Rwanda along the Tanzanian border. As I neared the border region I purchased fuel. A friendly man asked if I was going to Rwanda. When I said I was he told me "no matter what you see, no matter what anyone says or does, do not stop." He told me he would never stop along this stretch. There are armed bandits displaced from conflict along the border area, it gets worse the farther south you go. When I was there the UN only went south in convoys. Northern Uganda has some similar security issues. The roads in Ethiopia are in good shape overall. Between Gonder and the Sudanese border, there is a gravel stretch. I found it to be fine, but a German fellow I met in Khartoum took a fall there and broke his collar bone, this ended his trip. The road from the border through Wad Medani to Khartoum is paved and in good condition. From Khartoum I would suggest following the Nile river to Wadi Haifa. You will have to deal with some sand whether you follow this route or take the eastern route near the railway. You may, from time to time, encounter deep, rutted and sloppy sand/dust. These stretches were short in duration. This ride is beautiful, following the green palms lining the Nile. Every now and then I stripped off my gear and took a swim. If you do so, get out of the water within 10 minutes or you might inherit liver flukes. If you click on the Egypt tab on my website you'll learn about getting your paperwork to enter Egypt- I hope you get in in a more graceful fashion! The ride from Khartoum to Wadi Haifa along the Nile was one of my favorites of the trip, fantastic people there. As for the Egyptian visa, I had to have one to get my Sudanese transit visa. This is obtainable overnight in Addis. Good roads bro!

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