Kilifi County government is banking on the dualling of the 40km Mtwapa-Kilifi road to boost business and tourism.
In December 2020, the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved a Sh38.4 billion financing package for the project, a few months after the European Union had contributed a grant of Sh3.3 billion.
The transnational highway between Kenya and Tanzania is expected to ease the flow of traffic from both Mombasa and Tanga ports towards the land-locked countries of East Africa.
Kilifi County government is banking on the dualling of the 40km Mtwapa-Kilifi road to boost business and tourism.
The road is part of the 460km Malindi-Tanga-Bagamoyo East African coastal corridor development project.
In December 2020, the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved a Sh38.4 billion financing package for the project, a few months after the European Union had contributed a grant of Sh3.3 billion.
The transnational highway between Kenya and Tanzania is expected to ease the flow of traffic from both Mombasa and Tanga ports towards the land-locked countries of East Africa.
“This stretch of the busy highway, once completed, will ensure seamless flow of traffic, reduce travel time and eliminate accidents that have been blamed on some narrow sections of the thoroughfare,” said Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi.
He spoke after meeting with Kilifi County Commissioner Kutswa Olaka, JTEG project manager Engineer Huang Chao Ling and assistant project manager Jay Zhao who paid him a courtesy call in his office. The project will involve building four feeder roads.
“Each will have three kilometres of tarmac, branching off from the highway into the interior,” he added.
In January, the National Land Commission published a gazette notice on the compensation negotiations with individuals who will be affected by the project.
In 2018, the government spent thousands of shillings in evicting more than 500 traders who had set up stalls outside the Kongowea market where the road is expected to extend in preparation for the project.
Traders incurred losses running into millions when KeNHA flattened their stalls.
In January, Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia who inspected preliminary construction works said the project will soon be launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“The government is dualling this road, as well as the Nyali bridge-Mtwapa road section, to ease congestion on the Mombasa-Malindi highway,” said the CS.
President Kenyatta's administration has invested majorly in infrastructural development as his legacy projects with the Coast region benefiting immensely.
