President Uhuru Kenyatta over the weekend commissioned the construction of Port Reitz / Moi International Airport Access Road. Port Reitz road provides the only access to the Moi International Airport and links the Seconnd container terminal at the Port of Mombasa to the Northern Corridor and the rest of East and Central Africa. The road is jointly financed by UK’s Department of International Development (DFID) through TradeMark Africa (TMA) with a grant of $20 million and the Government of Kenya financing the remaining $11 million. Once completed, the new road will reduce traffic congestion at the Port Reitz area, a major artery in the movement of cargo to and from Mombasa port as well as in the larger Mombasa town and its environs.  Traffic congestion at the area has been identified as one of the key non-tariff trade barriers affecting businesses in the East Africa region. The $31 million investment - implemented by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) - will support the expansion of the road to a dual carriageway and improve the existing Port Reitz and Moi International Airport access roads covering 6.4km in length. It will also improve traffic movement at intersections, including the installation of traffic lights and grade separated junctions. This will also entail: providing Mombasa County with its first two grade separated interchange traffic intersections, installation of road drainage facilities and sidewalks along Port Reitz road and Moi Airport access roads.  Construction includes providing immediate access to and from the new Kipevu West Container Terminal. Access to...

MOMBASA, 9th JAN 2016: His Excellency, President Uhuru Kenyatta today commissioned the construction of Port Reitz / Moi International Airport Access Road. Port Reitz road provides the only access to the Moi International Airport and links the 2nd container terminal at the Port of Mombasa to the Northern Corridor and the rest of East and Central Africa. The road is jointly financed by UK’s Department of International Development (DFID) through TradeMark Africa (TMA) with a grant of USD20 million and the Government of Kenya financing the remaining USD11 million. Once completed, the new road will reduce traffic congestion at the Port Reitz area, a major artery in the movement of cargo to and from Mombasa port as well as in the larger Mombasa town and its environs. Traffic congestion at the area has been identified as one of the key non-tariff trade barriers affecting businesses in the East Africa region. [caption id="attachment_11321" align="alignleft" width="640"] President Uhuru Kenyatta flags-off construction of Port Reitz/ Moi International Airport Access road in Mombasa County. Photo/PSCU[/caption] The USD 31Million investment - implemented by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) - will support the expansion of the road to a dual carriageway and improve the existing Port Reitz and Moi International Airport access roads covering 6.4km in length. It will also improve traffic movement at intersections, including the installation of traffic lights and grade separated junctions. This will also entail: providing Mombasa County with its first two grade separated interchange traffic intersections, installation of road drainage...

H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to officially launch the upgrading of a 6.4km Port Reitz / Moi International Airport Access Road on Saturday 9th January 2016. The road will cost USD 31 million funded by UK’s Department of International Development (DFID) through TMA with USD 20 million and the government of Kenya contributing USD 11 million. An upgraded Port Reitz road is of economic importance to not only Mombasa, but also the wider East Africa region as it will contribute towards improving access to and from the Port of Mombasa by improving the free flow of traffic and easing congestion in Mombasa town. Expansion will begin from the port gate to the junction with airport road, leading to the new Kipevu West container terminal. Port Reitz road construction is one of TradeMark Africa’s commitments under the Mombasa Port Charter launched by H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta on June 30th 2014. Source: TradeMark Africa (TMA)

The hash-tag, 'What Would Magufuli Do,' was among 2015's most trending topics on Twitter but there's one more question for Tanzania's new President John Pombe Magufuli; what will he do on learning that Rwandan miners are abandoning using Port of Dar for Mombasa, over theft? Following allegations of repeated theft of Rwandan minerals while in transit to overseas customers, the affected traders have now resorted to using the Kenyan Port of Mombasa to avoid further losses, The New Times has learned. Among the firms that have made the shift to Port of Mombasa is Mineral Supply African Ltd (MSA), arguably Rwanda's leading exporter of precious stones. The firm confirmed that it is now shipping some of the cargo through Port of Mombasa, albeit being a longer route and definitely more expensive. It takes seven to 10 days transporting a vessel through Mombasa, at an extra cost of $500 (about Rwf370,000). "It is a precautionary measure. For instance, if we have three containers to ship, we move two through Mombasa and the other through Dar es Salaam," Fabrice Kayihura, MSA's deputy chief executive, said last week. Kayihura explained that by shipping through the two ports, they hope to avoid the possibility of losing all cargo incase thieves strike again at Dar es Salaam, where they have been victims of multiple thefts on several occasions in recent years. The most recent theft the exporter suffered was about four months ago when MSA and another shipper, Trading Services Logistics (TSL), lost minerals worth...

Trade and Markets East Africa is a not-for profit company that supports the growth of trade in East Africa. The organisation recently hosted a cocktail at the Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel in Nairobi to introduce its strategy as an enterprise over the next five years. In attendance at the event were special guest UK minister for trade and Investment Lord Maude, and his head of Trade Paul Walter. The guests were hosted by the team at Trade Mark East Africa led by their chairman Ali Mufuruki. Source: The Star

History was made in recent days. Top trade and development officials from all across the globe gathered December 15-18 to discuss economic growth opportunities and international commerce — the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Ministerial Conference — and that meeting took place … in Kenya. It was the first time that this biennial meeting of the world’s key trade decision makers has ever been held in East Africa. That’s not a coincidence. While much of the world is battling economic uncertainty and tepid growth, the nations of the East Africa Community (EAC) — Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda — are quietly putting into place the building blocks for substantial growth, productivity increases and profitable trade opportunities. East Africa’s aggressive steps have not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by the WTO’s decision to convene its all-important Ministerial Conference in Nairobi.While the WTO Ministers negotiated programs, rules and agreements for the global marketplace, key private sector representatives, thought leaders and economic development officials from around the world were also in Nairobi going about the equally important task of actually making trade, investment and growth a reality. This included Canadian officials who have made clear their interest in doing business in and with East Africa, particularly in the energy and mining sectors. This conference, the annual Trade and Development Symposium (TDS), is where critical stakeholders have an opportunity to confer and share ideas for creating greater opportunities for enhanced trade and sustainable growth; it offers a unique and vital platform for wider discussions that...

East African Community (EAC) said it is about to fulfill one of its mandates as EAC citizens will soon acquire EAC e-passports that will help ease their movement in the EAC bloc, Footprint to Africa reports. According to a statement from the secretariat, EAC Secretary General Mr Richard Sezibera said the launch of the New Generation e-East African Passport early in the New Year will be a major milestone towards achieving a harmonization in the region. The EAC e-passport, Footprint to Africa gathered had been scheduled for launch in November last year but was postponed to allow more time to airbrush pending issues on the travel document. EACs Chair of the Council of Ministers Abdallah Sadaala Abdallah said during last year’s budget presentation to the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala), that the immigration sub-sector had prioritised the need to enhance the capacity of the Immigration Directorates and Departments to develop integrated e-immigration management systems, create enhanced e-immigration services for the public. “This is by adopting advanced Technology and improving processes and to put in place a secure e-immigration network, through the adoption of biometric technology at all borders to reinforce the national security systems,” Abdallah added. The secretariat also allotted funds for study into a regional e-Passport that would be used by the regional citizens for international travel. EAC states also plan to use common passport for global travel and the assembly approved Sh5, 096,364 ($49,840) for an assessment of the needs and preparedness of partner states to execute the...

Senior officials from the East African Community (EAC) have confirmed that the grouping will launch a joint ePassport project. Secretary General, Richard Sezibera disclosed on Wednesday that citizens of the five-member community bloc will soon be in a position to develop the regional travel document. Sezibera said he is looking forward to the launch of the New Generation e-East African Passport early in 2016, a statement from the secretariat issued in Nairobi disclosed. “This is the time for creating a truly African market – in goods, and services including financial services. This is the time for shared industrialization, creating value chains across countries and regions”, he said. “I am glad East African continues to be at the forefront of integration, and growth. The Single Customs Territory continues to deliver benefits to East Africans both on the central corridor, as well as the another corridor,” he added. The EAC countries include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda. Source: Security Document World

The maize trade in Eastern and Southern Africa is set to rise following a roadmap to address bottlenecks caused by differences in standards and regulations. It was launched by Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) in Kampala, and is known as the Comesa Mutual Recognition Framework (C-MRF). The aim is to provide equivalence of analytical results and recognition of certificates of analysis that are issued by the participating countries. This will eliminate the need for multiple testing by both the exporting and importing countries. C-MRF was developed by the Comesa Secretariat in partnership with six countries that have significant maize trade in the region. They are Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, which will also pilot the framework. The key components are common grading criteria, proficiency testing for aflatoxins and a risk-based sampling protocol. Varied capacities At the launch, Thierry Mutombo Kalonji, the director for agriculture and industry, said the lack of mutual recognition of technical standards and conformity assessment (testing and certification) was a persistent non-tariff barrier. "Comesa Secretariat initiated the framework in recognition of the fact that regulatory barriers are sometimes a result of varied technical capacities in the public and private sector entities across the region," he said. "Without mutual recognition of standards and certificates of analysis, regulatory barriers persist; causing an unpredictable regulatory environment that comes at a high cost to traders and contributes to the growing informal trade, now estimated at over 80 per cent in some countries." Further still, countries with...

With the laying of rail tracks set to be complete by December, the completion of the Standard Gauge Railway is going to be one of the big stories this year. The modern railway is expected to open to first commercial traffic in June 2017. Transport CS James Macharia is already sounding optimistic, lauding the progress made so far and noting that big impact on the economy will be recorded this year even as the tracks are laid on the 500-kilometre railway. "The laying of the tracks in itself will have a huge impact on the GDP even before completion of the project," said Mr Macharia, adding: "local businesses are expected to contribute up to 40 per cent of all supplies whilst more than 50,000 Kenyans will be employed either directly or indirectly by the project." The Sh400 billion infrastructure investment links the Port of Mombasa to Kenya's capital Nairobi. Plans are underway to extend it to the landlocked Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. Once complete, it is expected to cut the cost of transport in the region and stimulate industrial growth. The plan to construct the SGR began in 2009 through a memorandum of understanding between Kenya and Uganda to connect Kampala to the coastal port city of Mombasa. However, it took a regional approach in 2013 when Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda signed a tripartite deal committing to fast track the construction of the railway to their respective capital cities. Later, South Sudan joined. The Kenya Railways Commission project manager...