Meeting to revive Northern Corridor projects six years on
Flags of EAC member States. China is set to be a key player in the financing of key Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP), going by a recent resolution by East African Community member states.
What you need to know:
- The NCIP has 14 cluster groups, each working on projects grouped by sector.
- Launched in 2013, the NCIP is an avenue through which the Presidents of the member states have spearheaded major infrastructure projects aimed at promoting development and integration across the region.
Partner states in the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) are in the final stages of preparations for a Heads of State Summit to be hosted by Rwanda before the year-end.
This comes after a six-year hiatus in presidential-level consultations on regional development. In recent months, the partner states, namely Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan and the DRC, have shown renewed commitment to project implementation.
The NCIP has 14 cluster groups, each working on projects grouped by sector.
In the past, the private sector has been calling to have local companies play a bigger role in the development of mega-projects in East Africa, which is currently dominated by Chinese state-owned firms.
Lands and Physical Planning PS Nixon Korir on Friday chaired a meeting of the Principal/Permanent Secretaries of the NCIP as partner states prepare for the upcoming 15th Summit of Heads of State and Government.
Delegations from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and South Sudan attended, and reviewed the land cluster projects. Mr Korir said the report of the Cluster Group meeting, once signed by Cabinet Secretaries/Ministers, will form part of the agenda of the 15th Heads of State Summit.
“Land is a critical factor for the Northern Corridor projects and programmes, I assure you of my commitment to work with you on land acquisition for the NCIP,” he said.
Mr Korir urged the Cluster to meet regularly for the effective implementation of its outcomes and reiterated the importance of the regional meeting in finding solutions to issues of land acquisition for the Northern Corridor projects and programmes.
He called on all partner states to make extra efforts to ensure land issues are resolved to facilitate timely implementation of regional integration projects.
For his part, Head of Ugandan Delegation Richard Kabonero thanked Kenya for convening the Land for Infrastructure Corridor Cluster meeting.
He expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Cluster chair in preparing necessary documentation. He also informed the meeting that a few days ago, Uganda had signed a contract with a Turkish firm for the construction of a standard gauge railway.
Head of Rwandan delegation Donne Besigye (First Counsellor at the High Commission of Rwanda in Kenya) assured that the cluster would do a great job in facilitating infrastructure projects aimed at strengthening regional integration and development.
“I reiterate Rwanda's commitment to support the Cluster by implementing sustainable land management projects under the Northern Corridor to ensure regional development and economic prosperity," he said.
In addition to the Lands Cluster, the NCIP has 13 other clusters through which NCIP activities and projects are implemented.
Launched in 2013, the NCIP is an avenue through which the Presidents of the member states have spearheaded major infrastructure projects aimed at promoting development and integration across the region.
Member states have pledged to prioritise land cluster initiatives, including the registration of communal land, the assessment of NCIP projects and the sharing of geospatial data, among others.
