Posted on January, 29, 2021 at 09:43 am
CONSTRUCTION of key East African Community (EAC) Multinational Road Project is due to kick off soon.
In addition to earlier designs, the project will link four EAC partner states of Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.
The current project is on a road from Masaka-Kyotera-Mutukula; then Mutukula-Kyaka, and Bugene-Kasulo- Kumunazi is on the way after the conclusion of feasibility study and detailed engineering design funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The designs, done by M/S LEA International Limited from Canada in a joint venture with LEA Associates Asia Pvt Ltd from India, covered 89.5 kilometers of the Masaka to Mutukula road section in Uganda; a 30 km section from Mutukula to Kyaka linking to a 133 km Tanzania section from Bugene to Kumunazi via Kasulo.
In addition, the detailed designs of the 250 km Nyakanazi-Kasulu-Manyovu road in Tanzania, which links to the 78 km Rumonge-Bujumbura road in Burundi; and the 92 km Lusahunga-Rusumo road in Tanzania linking to the 70 km KayonzaKigali road in Rwanda have also been completed.
EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Eng Steven Mlote, thanked AfDB for the financial support that enabled EAC to undertake the feasibility study and design of the multimillion-dollar road project between Uganda and Tanzania.
He was speaking during the handover ceremony of the designs report, saying that the purpose of the multinational road network is to facilitate the development of the regional road transport market in the East African region.
Engineer Mlote disclosed that the EAC Secretariat will now focus on mobilisation of funds to construct the road, as well as cooperation with other regional, continental and global efforts to improve road transport services and safety.
The EAC official also disclosed that the detailed designs of the 400 km long Malindi – Lunga Lunga and Tanga – Bagamoyo road between Kenya and Tanzania have been completed and the AfDB has agreed to finance the US$322 million project.
Also present at the event were Eng Kamugisha Kazaura, Director of Infrastructure, and Suleiman Athuman, Senior Materials and Pavement at the EAC Secretariat as well as Eng Brijesh Kumar, from LEA International in Association with LASA India.
In November, 2017 the EAC Secretariat signed a Financing Agreement of US$1,151,515 with the AfDB to finance the Project Preparation Phase of three (3) key Multinational Road Sections between Masaka in Uganda to Kumunazi in Tanzania.
The consultancy contract was signed in August 2018 with the consultant, M/s LEA international Limited in a joint venture with LEA Associate.
The Feasibility Study and Detailed Engineering Design were funded by the AfDB under the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (IPPF).
Source: Daily News