Cash crunch hits EAC integration projects
Flags of EAC member States. A cash crunch has hit East African Community integration projects going on in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
The Northern Corridor projects are at risk of being delayed for long unless more money is allocated to them.
On Monday Mr Jok said his country has made good progress in the projects but the efforts were being derailed by inadequate funds.
A cash crunch has hit East African Community integration projects going on in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.
The Northern Corridor projects are at risk of being delayed for long unless more money is allocated to them, leaders attending the 14th summit meeting of ministers in Nairobi were told on Monday.
The talks were attended by Kenya’s East Africa Community Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya, Uganda’s Foreign Affairs minister Sam Kutesa, South Sudan’s Minister for Transport and Roads John Luk Jok and Rwanda's Defence minister James Kabarebe and are a precursor to the heads of State summit, which will begin today and the chairmanship of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The meeting will be attended by Presidents Yoweri Museveni (Uganda) Paul Kagame (Rwanda) and a special envoy of President Salva Kiir of South Sudan.
DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE
The Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) is a multilateral development initiative established in 2013 to speed up growth in the region through the improvement of infrastructure for ease of movement of people, goods and services.
On Monday Mr Jok said his country has made good progress in the projects but the efforts were being derailed by inadequate funds.
“We have made good progress but we need to do more in securing more funding for the projects,” he said. Mr Munya called for concentrated efforts on developing the rail transport, electricity generation and Information Communication Technology to meet peoples' expectations on the benefits of integration.
ECONOMIC BLOC
"Our people expect a powerful economic bloc capable of negotiating beneficial pacts with the rest of the world at a vantage point, an expanded market that increasingly continues to create opportunities for trade and investment, enhanced welfare for the people through improvement in delivery of essential services and eradication of poverty as well as a secure and peaceful enabling environment,” said Mr Munya.
He thanked officials involved in the projects for following up on various tasks, adding: "I encourage all those involved to redouble their efforts to ensure that the agreed time lines are achieved.”
