On Friday the Africa Union envoy said that Eastern African nations should accelerate the growth of rail and waterways as a means of carrying products from Kenya’s port town of Mombasa to assist free up highways.
Raila Odinga, AU High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa, called on the nations of the Northern Corridor – Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan to prioritize the completion of highway segments that will see seamless connectivity across the area to facilitate trade and people’s movement.
“The point we often miss is that a number of our national priorities could be solved through greater integration. Delivery of infrastructure on a regional scale remains a sure bet to spur trade and manufacturing that creates jobs,” Odinga said at Mombasa’s 31st session of the Ministers ‘ Council of the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority.
“Today, we have 16 landlocked countries on the continent, which we have to open up and help achieve the economies of scale and be competitive internationally,” he added.
Odinga said that while the arrival of the Chinese-built Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Phase One from Mombasa to Nairobi took about 5 million tons of freight and 3 million passengers off the highways, the majority of goods and exports to and from the Corridor nations are still being transported by highway.
He said Kenya is prioritizing phase 2A-120 kilometer construction from Nairobi through Mai Mahiu to Naivasha, the effective completion date of which is set for Sept. 30.
But he was concerned that if other Northern Corridor countries did not finish their parts, it would be a line to nowhere.
“It would appear that national priorities are still taking precedence over regional and continental dreams. Member States have not prioritized improving the quality of transport networks in order to improve the regional trade, investments and trade and spur economic development along the region,” Odinga said.
He called on the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority to move quickly to improve current meter gauge lines and to develop the SGR for all member states of the Northern Corridor.
The AU envoy said Kenya has prioritized the refurbishment of the port of Kisumu whose effective refurbishment and opening of the port of Kisumu will be a major boost to the northern corridor.
He called for comparable innovations on Albert, Edward, Kivu, and Tanganyika lakes, as well as the rivers of Kagera and Nile.
“We have seen commendable efforts in development of port infrastructure and inland waterways within the Northern Corridor. There is commendable progress with regard to studies on safety and improvement of navigability of our inland waterways,” Odinga said.
He said that the construction of the petroleum product pipeline from Eldoret in southwest Kenya to Kigali, Rwanda through Kampala, Uganda, was unable to continue as a PPP project.
“We need speed from the Ministries of finance in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda who have been directed to source financing for this project,” Odinga said.