The Research for Community Access Partnership (ReCAP) has contracted Tacitus Ltd to undertake research into gender mainstreaming in the rural transport sector institutions in Kenya. The research is being carried out in Nairobi, where key rural transport sector and financing institutions headquartered, and in three counties: Murang’a, Machakos and Homa Bay. The aim of the research project is to answer the key question: What is the evidence of gender mainstreaming transforming efforts the institutions that deliver and support rural transport infrastructure and services? The Inception Report provides the context and rationale for gender mainstreaming research in Kenya, and describes the supportive policy, legal and strategic frameworks that underpin the rural transport sector. It provides an interim review of literature relating to gender mainstreaming in the transport sector, especially in Kenya. It explains the methodology by which the research will explore institutional analyses of the national, county and community level institutions responsible for gender policy development, oversight, and implementation of rural transport infrastructure and services. Qualitative and quantitative research methods are described; survey instruments and a logframe of activities, outputs and outcomes are provided. The report describes activities undertaken during the Inception Phase and next steps towards the project’s fieldwork phase.