Kenya and Congo to build an international highway linking Mombasa and Brazzaville
The Ministry of Transport has announced plans to construct an international highway that will link Mombasa with the Republic of Congo. The move is aimed at boosting trade between the two countries, and the project will begin from Mombasa to Brazzaville to Point Noire.
According to the Ministry of Transport, the project will make the transit of goods easier and boost the economy of both countries. “We discussed plans to develop the Mombasa-Brazzavile-Point Noire international highway as a major continental transit corridor that would boost trade and create job opportunities on the corridor,” read the statement on Twitter.
The mega project will involve other neighbouring countries as the road will cross their borders before entering the Republic of Congo. The cost and timelines for the international project were not disclosed.
In a statement dated Wednesday, March 1, the Ministry of Transport indicated that Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen met with his Congolese counterpart, Jean Jacques Bouya, to discuss details of the mega project.
“The meeting discussed the resumption and enhancement of aviation links between Kenya and Congo and modalities for intensified cooperation in air services between the respective national carriers of the two countries,” the statement added.
At the moment, it typically takes about one week for a truck to journey from Mombasa to the furthest destinations in DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi, a distance of about one thousand miles across both Kenya and Uganda.
If the project is completed, it will become one of the few international highways in the country.
Last year, the European Union (EU) and Kenya inaugurated the first section of an upgraded 560km highway along the Northern corridor, East Africa’s busiest trade and transport route.
The EU is supporting four wider transport projects currently ongoing to expand the Northern Corridor in Kenya and neighbouring countries, providing maritime access to landlocked countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The consortium also includes support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Kenyan Government. The entire budget to upgrade the Northern Corridor is €756 million.
The projects are upgrading of Mombasa – Mariakani highway (30 Km), the Isebania-Kisii-Ahero highway (172km) and associated feeder roads (230 km), and the Kitale – Morpus highway (75km) all of which will improve the interconnectivity of East Africa.