Road connecting Kenya-Tanzania to be done by 2024
Monday December 18 2023
Construction works ongoing at the New Mbogolo Bridge along the Mombasa-Malindi Highway, Kenya on November 28, 2023. PHOTO | NMG
The road connecting Kenya and Tanzania that was commissioned under the East African Community last year is now over 35 percent done.
The Bagamoyo–Tanga-Horohoro/Lunga Lunga-Malindi Road project that is under construction is being financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), African Development Fund (ADF), European Union (EU) and Government of Kenya.
The project road-approximately 54 kilometres within Kenya is expected to be complete by 2024. Its construction began in 2021. On the Kenyan side, the road project will cost Ksh7.5 billion ($50 million) and it starts at the proposed New Mtwapa Bridge next to Mtwapa town.
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It runs in a northerly direction through Mtwapa Town, Majengo, Kanamai, Kwa Kadzengo, Kijipwa, Shariani, Takaungu and Mavueni before terminating at the start of Kilifi.
A joint meeting of the High Level Standing Committee on the East African Trade and Transport Facilitation Project and a Regional Technical Committee on the East Africa Road Network Project that held its meeting in Mombasa last week revealed that sections of the road between Tanga in Tanzania and Lunga Lunga in Kenya were almost complete and partially under use.
“The development of this road is planned in phases owing to the size (a total of 454 kilometres), the need for review of the studies for some of the sections and required huge investment,” said Godfrey Enzama, the Principal Civil Engineer, who spoke on behalf of the Deputy Secretary General responsible for Infrastructure of the EAC Secretariat.
“The project is to improve road transport services between Kenya and Tanzania by reducing travel time, vehicle operating cost and decreasing traffic congestion.”
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He said the objectives of the joint meeting were to review and update the status of various projects under the road subsector and come up with recommendations for consideration by the Sectoral Council on Transport, Communications and Meteorology (TCM) scheduled for March 2024.
Phase I of the Project comprised: 120.8 km Mkange–Tungumaa–Pangani road section in Tanzania and 54 km Mombasa–Mtwapa–Kilifi Road section in Kenya. The road runs along the East African coastline which has a rich tourism and horticultural potential. It also includes access road consultancy services and other social complementary.