Road linking Kenya and Tanzania launched

Last Updated 14 years ago by Kenya Engineer

Today marked the official opening of the Arusha-Namanga-Athi River road. The ceremony was presided by presidents, Mwai Kibaki, Jakaya Kikwete and witnessed by Uganda’s president,Yoweri Museveni,Pierre Nkurunziza and Paul Kagame,all of the East African Community (EAC). In attendance too were representatives from African Development Bank and Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The road whose works were officially inaugurated in March 2009 is part of an important commercial and transport corridor serving Kenya and Tanzania. It is identified as Project Corridor No.5 that runs from Tunduma in South Tanzania to Moyale in Northern Kenya an onwards to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The corridor is also part of the Trans African Highway No.9 running from Cape Town in South Africa to Cairo in Egypt.

The main objective of the project is to support regional integration through the facilitation of transport, trade, tourism and social-economic development of the area.

Kenya through the ministry of roads worked on Lot K of the project running from Athi River-Namanga,136km while Tanzania was responsible for Lot T (Arusha-Namanga)section,105km.The road initially constructed in the 70’s had worn out complicating transport.

The entire road was rehabilitated to international trunk road standards with a carriageway of 7m and shoulders of 2m.Other works included; construction of non-motorist traffic facilities, service roads at Athi River,Kitengela,Isinya,Illbassil and Namanga towns as well as streetlights to improve visibility.

Chinese firm, China National Overseas Corporation (COVEC) was responsible for the works on the Kenyan side under the supervision of GIBB Africa while Tanzania contracted China Geo Engineering Co. and was supervised by John Burrow.

The two governments co-financed the project together with African Development Bank and JICA.The Athi River-Namanga stretch cost Ksh 7.16 billion while the Namanga-Arusha stretch cost Tsh 98 billion. In total, the whole project cost US$164 million.