Africa is the world’s fastest urbanizing continent, but the growth of its cities has not been matched by an expansion of adequate transport infrastructure, with significant implications for gender inequality. Using examples from three East African cities, this paper explores gender issues in public transport and how gender mainstreaming could help to build sustainable and inclusive urban centres. The urban population of Africa, the fastest urbanizing continent, has increased from 19% to 39% in the past 50 years, and the number of urban dwellers is projected to reach 770 million by 2030. However, while rapid urbanization has increased mobility and created a subsequent growth in demand for public transport in cities, this has not been met by the provision of adequate and sustainable infrastructure and services.