STUDY
for the proposed multinational highway which will link the East African
Coastline treading Kenya and Tanzania from Mombasa to Bagamoyo, has been
completed.
East African Community (EAC) is
finalising plans for the transnational highway, which measures 450
kilometre-long, and expected to cost 600 million US dollars (over 1.2tri/-).
The highway moves from Malindi,
through Mombasa and Lunga Lunga on the Kenyan side, before crossing into
Tanzania (Tanga), through Pangani and Saadani to Bagamoyo.
The project was the centre of
deliberations between EAC Secretary General, Ambassador Liberat Mfumukeko and
Executive Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) over the weekend
when the highpowered delegation of 10 directors paid a courtesy call at EAC
Secretariat here.
During their mission to EAC
headquarters, AfDB directors also discussed the bank's collaboration with the
regional block since the signing of a cooperation agreement in 1998. The
agreement has resulted in the funding of several regional projects by the bank,
mainly in the transport and energy sectors.
The AfDB
had agreed to fund the Malindi-Mombasa-Tanga to Bagamoyo Highway and that it
would allocate the first tranche of money to the construction, which is
expected to start anytime from now and take three years to completion.
The road project will entail the
rehabilitation of the 250- kilometre Malindi-Lunga Lunga Road and upgrading to
bitumen standard the 175-kilometre stretch that links Tanga to Bagamoyo.
The coastline road is expected to
boost regional integration, cross-border trade, tourism, and socio-economic
development, as well as improve road transport infrastructure along the Kenya
and Tanzania coastlines, particularly between Mombasa and Bagamoyo.
Apart from the proposed
Malindi-Bagamoyo road, AfDB also funded the Arusha-Namanga- Athi River road
whose construction was completed in 2012 and the ongoing Arusha-Holili and
Taveta-Voi road, which is so far completed on the Kenyan side and construction continues
on the Tanzanian side.
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