Geza Ulole
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 31, 2009
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Tanga-Mombasa Highway may be delayed until 2019
By MARC NKWAME in Arusha 19 hours ago
THE Key road planned to link the East African Coastline from Mombasa to Tanga may just undergo major design changes and this is likely to delay the proposed Project until next year.
An official statement from the East African Community Headquarters in Arusha as dispatched by one of the Public Relations Officer, Mr Florian Mutabazi, reads; “The studies had been completed since December 2015 and the next stage was to look for funds for construction phase.
However, this will also call for the need to review the designs and studies due to the time that has elapsed since studies were done.” But recent reports indicate that there have been major design changes on the Kenyan side and this delayed the commencing of the work.
The change includes expanding from single to dual carriage along a section of the transnational highway. The African Development Bank (AfDB), was supposed to fund the 445 kilometres’ multi-national road project by footing at least 70 percent of the coast for the highway which will run from Malindi in Kenya to Bagamoyo via Mombasa and Tanga.
Initial expenses estimation stood at 1.7 trillion/-as translated from the US 731 million/-billed during initial project studies and related costs.
Kenya and Tanzania are supposed to contribute between them 30 percent of the said charges.
The works on the mega project that is expected to take 36 months has been delayed since 2016 and while it was supposed to start this year, the project was again pushed forward to 2019 .
The connection from Kenya’s main Port in Mombasa to Tanzania’s second largest port at Tanga is expected to unlock trade, tourism and shipping opportunities between the two countries, and give new breath of life to the East African segment of the Indian Ocean coastline.
As Kenya goes back to the drawing board in redesigning the proposed road, it is still not known whether Tanzania is sticking with the old design or plans to tweak the design.
But Dar has already completed all the necessary arrangements regarding the road, according to AfDB.
Tanzania has already accomplished the tendering process for contractors to do feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments on the project, while Kenya has just started to do so.
“Tanzania is moving faster than Kenya, but since it is a multinational project, the two countries need to come to come together and work in sync,” the AfDB Director-General for business development and delivery in East Africa, Mr Gabriel Negatu stated recently.
Dailynews
MY TAKE
Why should AfDB avail funds for Tanzania that is ready? Why should the country suffer from neighbor's laziness n laggardness?
By MARC NKWAME in Arusha 19 hours ago
THE Key road planned to link the East African Coastline from Mombasa to Tanga may just undergo major design changes and this is likely to delay the proposed Project until next year.
An official statement from the East African Community Headquarters in Arusha as dispatched by one of the Public Relations Officer, Mr Florian Mutabazi, reads; “The studies had been completed since December 2015 and the next stage was to look for funds for construction phase.
However, this will also call for the need to review the designs and studies due to the time that has elapsed since studies were done.” But recent reports indicate that there have been major design changes on the Kenyan side and this delayed the commencing of the work.
The change includes expanding from single to dual carriage along a section of the transnational highway. The African Development Bank (AfDB), was supposed to fund the 445 kilometres’ multi-national road project by footing at least 70 percent of the coast for the highway which will run from Malindi in Kenya to Bagamoyo via Mombasa and Tanga.
Initial expenses estimation stood at 1.7 trillion/-as translated from the US 731 million/-billed during initial project studies and related costs.
Kenya and Tanzania are supposed to contribute between them 30 percent of the said charges.
The works on the mega project that is expected to take 36 months has been delayed since 2016 and while it was supposed to start this year, the project was again pushed forward to 2019 .
The connection from Kenya’s main Port in Mombasa to Tanzania’s second largest port at Tanga is expected to unlock trade, tourism and shipping opportunities between the two countries, and give new breath of life to the East African segment of the Indian Ocean coastline.
As Kenya goes back to the drawing board in redesigning the proposed road, it is still not known whether Tanzania is sticking with the old design or plans to tweak the design.
But Dar has already completed all the necessary arrangements regarding the road, according to AfDB.
Tanzania has already accomplished the tendering process for contractors to do feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments on the project, while Kenya has just started to do so.
“Tanzania is moving faster than Kenya, but since it is a multinational project, the two countries need to come to come together and work in sync,” the AfDB Director-General for business development and delivery in East Africa, Mr Gabriel Negatu stated recently.
Dailynews
MY TAKE
Why should AfDB avail funds for Tanzania that is ready? Why should the country suffer from neighbor's laziness n laggardness?
