Government officials from Kenya and Uganda are expected to meet to discuss the funding of a multinational 193-kilometre expressway linking the two countries.
According to sources privy to the information, leaders from the two East African partners are expected to meet late this month to discuss the construction of the road.
The meeting is expected to be held in Uganda's capital, Kampala, in a two-day conference that seeks to find a viable financing model for the road that will link Kisumu to Busia in Kenya and Kakira to Malaba in Uganda.
The project is part of the Northern Transport Corridor that is designed to enhance regional trade and improve transport efficiency.
"This project is not just about building a road; it is about creating a modern, safe and efficient transport artery that connects businesses, people, and opportunities across East Africa," said Andrea Ariik Malueth, EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure.
Adding: "The Market Sounding Conference is a turning point in our efforts to establish a strategy for sustainable infrastructure development via private sector funding."
In particular, the expressway is expected to be constructed through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the potential introduction of toll fees for those who use the road.
During the meeting, the stakeholders will review the feasibility study report of the project, including the possibilities of imposing tariffs and the environmental and social impacts of the project.
The latest development comes on the back of another joint infrastructure project between the two countries, including the construction of a standard-gauge railway.
While the first phase of the SGR project, which begins from Mombasa to Nairobi, was completed, there are plans underway to extend it to Malaba. In Uganda, the project is from Malaba to Uganda.
In 2014, the governments of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC signed an agreement for the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway line from Mombasa to Kampala, to Kigali and finally to the DRC.
Despite the agreement, the construction of the SGR came to a sudden end in Naivasha after China declined to fund the remaining part of the construction works following a disagreement with Uganda.
