Former Meru Governor Peter Munya who was on Friday sworn in as the Cabinet Secretary for the East African Community (EAC) and Northern Corridor Development will oversee the completion of the multimodal trade route linking the landlocked countries of the Great Lakes Region with the Kenyan port of Mombasa.
The multi- billion shilling project was moved from the transport Ministry when President Uhuru Kenyatta unveiled his new cabinet in January.
According to the World Bank, the project cost in Kenya alone is $275 million which translates to Sh27.5 Billion, a figure which most likely exponentially rises when the other countries are factored in.
Countries that are party to the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Agreement (NCTTA) are Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan.
[caption caption="NCTTCA website"]
[/caption]
The treaty was signed in 1987 and revised in 2007 with a goal of enhancing regional trade between Kenya and neighbouring countries.
“The Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) was established and mandated by the Member States to oversee the implementation of the agreement, to monitor its performance and to transform the Northern trade route into an economic development corridor and making the corridor a seamless, efficient, smart and green Corridor,” the authority’s website states.
In the project, member states pledge to develop road, rail, pipeline and inland waterways transport as a means of facilitating interstate and transit trade.
The main road network runs from Mombasa Sea Port through Kenya and Uganda to Kigali in Rwanda, Bujumbura in Burundi and to Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The road network also links Kenya and Uganda to Juba in South Sudan.
“The rail network runs from Mombasa Sea Port through Nairobi, Malaba, and Kampala to Kasese in Western Uganda, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. A branch line radiates from Nakuru to Kisumu on Lake Victoria, from where rail wagon ferries link the system to Port Bell in Kampala.
“The oil pipeline runs from Mombasa through Nairobi and Nakuru to Kisumu and Eldoret in western Kenya, from where the land locked countries access their fuel imports,” the Authority explains.
During the Swearing-in ceremony, Uhuru stated he expected his new Cabinet to help in the achievement of the Big Four Agenda that would transform the lives of Kenyans.
“I look towards my Cabinet for selfless service, unimpeachable integrity, dedication to duty and unmatched excellence in bringing into fruition the “Big Four Agenda” – a roof over many more heads at affordable cost, affordable healthcare for all, value addition and manufacturing for jobs, and ensuring that hunger becomes the story of the past,” he conveyed.
[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta with Peter Munya "]
[/caption]
