By Charles Kazooba
The African Development Bank has approved two loans totaling
US$232.5 million for the 157.5-kilometre road project from Arusha to Holili in
Tanzania, and Taveta to Voi in Kenya, in an effort to reduce the cost of
transport and enhance access to agricultural inputs, larger markets and social
services within the East Africa Community.
Kenya will receive $113.12m of the two loans approved by
the AfDB Board, while Tanzania will be awarded $120 m. The Bank facility
constitutes 89.1 per cent of the total project cost.
The project, which is expected to be completed by December 2018, is also jointly financed by the
Governments of Kenya and Tanzania both contributing $15.6m and $12.3m,
respectively. The Africa Trade Fund has extended a $0.74m grant for a small
component for trade facilitation at the Namanga border, bringing to USD 262.2
million the total cost of the project.
The Arusha-Holili/Taveta-Voi Road is a transport corridor
of the East African Region that links the Northern Corridor at Voi to the
Central Corridor across the common border at Holili/Taveta through Arusha,
Babati to Dodoma and Singida.
The project will comprise civil works for the
construction of the Arusha Bypass (42.4 km) and dualling the Sakina-Tengeru
section (14.1 km) as well as the construction of two roadside amenities at Tengeru,
one on either side of the dual carriageway in Tanzania.
It will also involve the upgrading of the Taveta-Mwatate
portion (89 km) and construction of the Taveta Bypass (12 km) and two roadside
amenities, one each at Bura and Maktau along the Mwatate-Taveta Road in Kenya.
AfDB’s Regional Director for the East Africa Resource
Centre, Gabriel Negatu, confirmed the loan approval, explaining that the road
had been identified in the East African Regional Integration Strategy Paper
(RISP 2011-2015) and the East African Transport Strategy and Regional Road
Sector Development Programme of November 2011 as a priority for intervention.
“The East African Community seeks to improve regional
transport infrastructure to support economic and social development programs in
the region, promote tourism and foster regional integration and at the same
time reduce the cost of doing business by supporting cross-border and
international trade,” Negatu said.kazcharlie@yahoo.com
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