KeNHA to spend Ksh 4.5Bn Upgrading the Kitale-Suam road
David Indeje
The Kenya National Highways Authority said a contract agreement is signed on Thursday to upgrade the 45km Kitale -Endebess -Suam Road has been completed with China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd. The Kenyan government and the African Development Bank (AfDB) will cover the required over Ksh 4.5 Billion cost to upgrade the road in the ratio of 85 to 15 per cent, respectively. The project, which kicks off in two months, starts at Kitale Town at the junction with Kisumu-Kakamega Kitale-Lodwar-Nadapal (A1) road and runs northwards through the trading centre of Endebess and ends at Suam, the National boundary with Uganda. While signing the deal with China State Construction Engineering Corporation, Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) estimated that the multinational road project will be complete in 30 months.
Kenya National Highways Authority director general Eng Peter Mundinia (left) and China State Construction Engineering Corporation East African Region general manager Zhang Ruiping, during the signing the contract for construction a multinational road linking Kenya and Uganda to the Northern Corridor.
Speaking during the event, KeNHA director general, Peter Mundinia said the project, is expected to be complete by February 2020. “The project includes establishment of a one-stop border post at Suam to assist business and movement of traffic, goods and labour. This will also enable us deal with immigra- “We will also construct access roads and provision of roadside amenities including market stalls, provision of street lighting and drainage works,” he said. “To ensure Kenyans benefit from the construction, 40 per cent of the work will be fulfilled by local businesses who will supply materials, skilled and unskilled labour,” said KeNHA chair Erastus Mwongera . Besides doing the entire road between Kitale and Suam, KeNHA will also work on some roads within Kitale town in what is expected to improve transportation and trade facilitation along the Suam border, hence foster transport linkage among Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The project entails one-stop border post in Suam, three new river bridges, two foot bridges within Kitale town and a dual carriage way through Kitale town to Matisi shopping centre.
