Work on road, fibre cable to South Sudan set to begin next May

What you need to know:

Kenya is building a Sh126 billion road linking Eldoret and Juba. The section between Lokichar and Nadapal will get Sh52.6 billion in World Bank funding.
The inland fibre optic cable, meanwhile, will cost Sh2.6 billion to lay on the Kenyan side and another Sh1.7 billion in South Sudan territory.

The construction of a road from Lokichar to South Sudan’s border, and the laying of a fibre optic cable from Eldoret to the capital Juba, begin in May next year, a Kenyan public official has said.

The two projects, to be completed in February 2019, are expected to enhance communication between the two countries and improve inter-border trade.

Kenya is building a Sh126 billion ($1.2 million) road linking Eldoret and Juba. The section between Lokichar, Turkana county, and the border town of Nadapal will get Sh52.6 billion ($500 million) in World Bank funding. It is this section whose construction officials now say begins in May 2016.

The inland fibre optic cable, meanwhile, will cost Sh2.6 billion ($25.5 million) to lay on the Kenyan side and another Sh1.7 billion ($15 million) in South Sudan territory. A common border post will also be built at Nadapal.

The projects are part of the Eastern Africa Regional Transport, Trade and Development Facilitation Project.

“Roads and information superhighways are two of the most effective means of realizing accelerated development,” Robert Mugo, Director of Shared Services at the ICT Authority said, in a statement read during a project commissioning event in Lodwar town. “Today, we are witnessing implementation of both at the same time in this region. (This is) a big dream comes true.”

The meeting, organised by the Ministry of Roads and Infrastructure, brought teams from the implementing agencies which include the ICT Authority, Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA), Turkana and West Pokot County Governments, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure as well as World Bank.

Once completed, the two countries are set to benefit from fast movement of goods and people and enhanced internet connectivity. The latter will be used by towns and facilities along the corridor including schools, hospitals, Government offices and telecommunications operators.

“This development will increase trade between Kenya and South Sudan as well as link Turkana County to the rest of Kenya,” said Mr Joseph Nanok, the Governor Turkana County. “We see the prices of commodities coming down.”

It will also provide Last Mile Fibre Connectivity to County Headquarters from the backbone and also provide network redundancy for existing links.

The towns of Lokichoggio, Kakuma, Lokichar, Lodwar, Kitale, Eldoret will benefit from an upgrade of existing Internet points.