Designs for key EA roads in final stages

What you need to know:

  • The projected highway will link Uganda town of Masaka with Misenyi, Karagwe and Kyerwa districts in Tanzania and will be funded by AfDB

Arusha. Final engineering designs are underway for one of the key cross-border roads in East Africa.

The projected highway will link Ugandan town of Masaka and various townships in Misenyi, Karagwe and Kyerwa districts, Kagera Region.

Designs for the multi-million dollar project are being finalized ahead of construction to be financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB). “The cross border road transport is set to promote economic development in the region,” said Prof Faustin Kamuzora, the regional administrative secretary for Kagera. Implementation of the Masaka-Kyotera-Mutukula-Kyaka and Bugene-Kasulo-Kumunazi road project is coordinated by the East African Community (EAC).

In November 2017, the EAC secured a grant from the AfDB under the Nepad-Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (Nepad-IPPF) for the project.

The consultancy contract was signed in August 2018 with the consultant M/S Leah International Limited in joint venture with LEA Associates Asia Pvt Ltd.

“The consultant is now finalizing the final phase prior to validation and check by road agencies from Tanzania and Uganda,” said EAC deputy secretary general Steven Mlote.

However, he could not reveal the cost of the project, noting, however, that it would facilitate and liberalize road transport market in the region.

Other completed road designs are for the 328 km long Nyakanazi-Kasulu-Manyovu-Bujumbura road and 162km Lusahunga-Rusumo-Kigali road. For the roads linking Tanzania and Burundi, the total approved funding by AfDB is $322 million, being $256.2 million loan to Tanzania and $66 million grant to Burundi.