FFORTS by East African governments to set up a favourable environment for investment and transport are yielding positive results. The recent launch of a grand road project that runs from Arusha-Holili/Taveta-Mwatate, is a case in point.

President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and his Kenyan counterpart, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta launched the project at Taveta, as President Kikwete started a tour to bid farewell to Kenyans, as he is set to retire later this year.
The road is very fundamental for the regional integration and establishing the missing road network links in the regional infrastructure corridor. President Kikwete expressed his optimism for the accelerated economic development of the area as the road will help transport goods to and from the port of Mombasa and create employment to more people in the process.
He said the project, which is supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB), will see vehicles avoid damage because this would be a quality road. The project comprises civil works for the construction of the 42.4km Arusha bypass.
Also there will be a dual carriageway linking the Sakina-Tengeru section of 14.1 kilometres as well as the construction of two roadside amenities at Tengeru, one on either side of the dual carriageway in Tanzania.
On the Kenyan side of the bargain, the project involves the upgrading of the 89-kilometre Taveta-Mwatate portion. There is also a construction of the 12-kilometre Taveta bypass and two roadside amenities, one each at Bura and Maktau along the Mwatate-Taveta Road. President Kikwete says this is a second major road construction to link the two countries after the Arusha-Namanga-Athi River Road project.
He says more plans are to join Lamu-Mombasa-Lungalunga-Tanga- Bagamoyo-Dar es Salaam sections and later to link with Mozambique. He assures Kenyans of continued cooperation in economic activities and friendship with Tanzania.
He refers to Kenya as a partner in development and not a rival, hence countries would work together. On the other hand, President Kenyatta hails the achievement, saying it is a beginning of economic prosperity, as the project would highly improve lives of people from the two countries. “Our people are one; we intermarry and do business together.
They are very important so it is upon the governments to facilitate conducive environment for them to improve their lives by removing the barriers they face,” President Kenyatta observes. He notes the presence of One Border Post, just near Taveta, saying that with the road project, service would be of great quality.
He goes further, saying that at the time when a lot has been done in Tanzania in terms of natural gas production, Kenya has high hopes of also getting electricity or the gas, from Tanzania. The Kenyan leader says that with good leadership, there will be one big free market that will attract more investors and donors while people will get employment and reduce poverty among them.
He thanked President Kikwete “for the great job he did in 10 years for Tanzania and East Africa”. Mr Gabriel Negatu, a senior officer from the AfDB, said the bank appreciates commitment by Kenyan and Tanzanian governments in implementation of the project. He cited the project as a gateway to Mombasa Port that will help people of the two countries, linking Northern Corridor to the Central part of the country.
AfDB agreed to release US$ 120 million to Tanzania while Kenya gets US$ 113.12 million. He says in the last five years cooperation and trade volume between the two countries has increased by 40 per cent. Once the project is completed a 10 per cent addition would be realised, according to President Kikwete, something he says is a huge achievement.
The project is part of East African Community (EAC) plans that seek to improve regional transport infrastructure to support economic and social development programmes in the region. It also seeks to promote tourism and foster regional integration and at the same time reduce the cost of doing business by supporting cross border and international trade.
The multinational project is contracted to China Railway No.3 Engineering Group (CR3). The Kenyan Acting Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Mr Najib Balala, said he was happy to oversee such a big event led by the two presidents.
The Mvita MP and leader of Republican Congress Party of Kenya (RC) stood in for Minister James Macharia. Taveta Legislator, Ms Naomi Shaban from Kenya African National Union (Kanu) says her dream for having the project and consequent launching was realized as he saw the two presidents at the area. She says people’s improvement of lives would be immense with the project.
Source: Daily News

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TradeMark Africa.