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Happening Now: Court: Ruto's Housing Levy is constitutional

Northern Corridor initiative shaky as projects falter

Trucks awaiting clearance at the port of Mombasa. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT |

By  LILIAN OCHIENG'

What you need to know:

  • “We will build a port in Kisumu where the SGR will terminate in case Uganda doesn’t do its part. The Kisumu port will supplement Mombasa port,” said Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia in a statement. 
  • On the SGR, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi through the Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), have already prequalified eight firms to bid for the construction of the standard gauge railway. 

The future of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) Summit stands on a shaky ground as major initiatives seem not to be making any headway. 

Member countries previously involved in multi-billion projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) as well as the shared crude oil pipeline, both separately worth Sh400 billion, are now approaching Tanzania for similar deals. Tanzania is not part of the NCIP and is not taking part in the integration projects within the bloc.

Uganda is in deep discussions with Tanzania on the crude oil pipeline for a possibility of constructing it through Tanga port. Rwanda, a major member in the SGR project, is working with Tanzania to build a rail through Dar, Rwanda and Burundi, lowering transport costs. 

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“We will build a port in Kisumu where the SGR will terminate in case Uganda doesn’t do its part. The Kisumu port will supplement Mombasa port,” said Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia in a statement. 

Mr Macharia’s statement casts doubts on Uganda’s commitment to the project. This comes after Uganda signed a MoU with Tanzania to begin construction of a pipeline through Tanga although it had a similar commitment with Kenya through the NCIP. 

PREQUALIFIED FIRMS

On the SGR, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi through the Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), have already prequalified eight firms to bid for the construction of the standard gauge railway. 

“I cannot name the firms that have been prequalified. But about 60 per cent are from China,” said Mr Imbuchi Onyango, a technical expert on railways at the East African Community Secretariat. 

Rwanda together with South Sudan and Uganda are key pillars in the Kenyan SGR linking the Port of Mombasa to Nairobi.  
The project negotiations, funding and pace of planning are part of the ongoing annual talks within the NCIP bloc which is aimed at fostering the spirit of integration within member countries.

Rwanda was bound to Kenya’s SGR through a tripartite agreement in August 2013 that also included Uganda.

The deliberations on the previous and 12th NCIP summit held in Kigali Rwanda, shows that the country is still part of the SGR talks.

“The head of states directed the ministers to finalise preparations of bankable project proposals for the remaining sections to the Eastern, Western and Southern routes and Mirama Kigali section,” said the communiqué signed by Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, Uhuru Kenyatta, South Sudan’s Salvar Kiir and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni.

The Kenya Railway Commission states that the SGR is now 65 per cent complete with the laying of tracks planned for December.
The first phase of the railway from Mombasa to Nairobi should be complete and open for commercial use by 2017.

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