A delegation from the Japanese Embassy in Kenya met with the Principal Secretary for Roads, Joseph Mbugua, to discuss the delivery of the 1.4 km Mombasa Gate Bridge
Hiroshi Ogihara, head of mission in the Embassy, led the delegation and was accompanied by the chief representative of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Kenya, Shubane Makoer, to go over preliminary preparations needed to facilitate the successful commencement of the project.
The Government of Japan is providing funding for the project through JICA and will support the Government of Kenya and the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) as they seek to progress the construction project which is expected to take 36 months to complete.
When completed, the cable-stayed bridge Mombasa Gate Bridge will boast a 600 m span, will carry four traffic lanes and will allow ships to cross underneath due to its height; it will be 69 m high at its mid-point. By providing a road connection between Mombasa Island and Mombasa Mainland South, it will negate the need to cross the Likoni Channel – which separates the two – by ferries (currently run by the Kenya Ports Authority).
A boost for Kenya’s economy
The project has been pursued to boost the local and wider country’s economy as a whole. It will primarily do so by improving transport and traffic flow to and from Mombasa (also complementing the nearly-complete Dongo Kundu road bypass). This will provide a welcome boost for local and international businesses operating in the region and will benefit tourism players in the South Coast.
According to Mbugua, construction of the bridge will also create numerous employment opportunities for Kenyans. Moreover, it has also been projected as a win for the environment as the old causeway restricts the flow of water.
At the delegation meeting, the Japanese team expressed optimism around the project and were happy with the outcome of the recent Quality Infrastructure Conference and bilateral talks held in Nairobi.
Mbugua, meanwhile, assured the visitors of the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring the project would commence immediately and be completed within time and budget. He added that the bridge would become an iconic landmark and tourist attraction on the continent as it will be the largest cable-stayed bridge in sub-Saharan Africa.
