Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Tanzanian counterpart President Jakaya Kikwete last month launched a 90 km Taveta-Mwatate road project in Taita Taveta County.
Jointly funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the governments of Kenya and Tanzania, the road is key to regional integration. Presidents Kenyatta and Kikwete said its construction is in the East African Community (EAC) program of the developing missing links along the regional infrastructure corridor.
When completed, the road will help Kenyans and Tanzanians do more business across countries, boosting the economies of their nations. “This is one of the missing links aimed at enhancing the East Africa Integration objectives, and a crucial link between Kenya and Tanzania,” Kenyatta said.
“The people of Kenya and Tanzania are one, and their governments should help them trade more and do business.”
President Kikwete said residents of northern and northwest Tanzania use the road to transport goods from Mombasa. “It takes 14 hours from Arusha to Voi. But with the construction, it will only take two and a half hours, reducing the time and saving on vehicle maintenance,” he said.
The Tanzanian President said the road is part of EAC projects and also the Arusha-Holili-Taveta-Voi-Mombasa transport corridor. Kikwete said members States had planned major infrastructure projects to connect countries and the whole region.
“In the past five years, trade between Kenya and Tanzania has grown by 40%. When the road is complete, trade will go up by another 10%,” he said.
He said just as Kenya has begun improving the Taveta-Mwatate road to bitumen standards, he will soon invite President Kenyatta to launch the same program for the Arusha-Holili section.
AfDB Regional Director Gabriel Negatu said the institution has given Sh22,301 million (US$218 m) for the construction of the Taveta-Mwatate Road, and the upgrading of the Arusha-Holili section. Kenya received Sh11,866 ($116m) and Tanzania, Sh10,434 ($102m). The road project is the second to be funded by AfDB, the first one being the improvement of Arusha-Namanga and Namanga-Athi River road. – Xinhua
