US$253m in loans has been approved by The African Development Bank (AfDB) to the Kenya and Uganda for the upgrading of a 118 km road section connecting the two countries and the construction of the 32 km Eldoret town bypass, in Kenya.
The development which is projected to be complete in 2021 will enhance the living standards of citizens in the two countries.
Kenya is set to receive a whopping US$147mand Uganda US$106m. The AfDB loans will cover the costs 89% for Kenya and 88% for Uganda with the governments contributing 11% and 12% respectively.
AfDB Infrastructure, Cities and Urban Development Department director Amadou Oumarou confirmed the reports and said in a statement released last month that the proposed intervention was in line with the AfDB’s Ten Year Strategy, which also includes five priority areas for development – the High 5s – which are Light up and power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.
“The intervention meets four of the High 5s by contributing to the integration of the East African Community countries; improving the quality of life by providing socioeconomic facilities for people in the zone of influence; increasing agricultural production through access to markets; and the reduction in transport costs, which lowers the cost of doing business that will play a pivotal role in industrialization,” Oumarou explained.
The project also includes the construction of a one-stop border post in Suam to facilitate trade between the two countries.
Further to that, the Eldoret bypass of 32 km will reduce traffic congestion, as it avoids crossing the city centre. Therefore, the average speed will increase from 26 km/h on the existing road to 42 km/h using the Eldoret bypass.
AfDB is a multilateral development finance institution established by Laston M. to contribute to the economic development and social progress of African countries.
