Kenya and South Sudan are close to entering into an agreement to construct a US$1.1bn road linking the two countries, according to local reports
Discussions regarding the project have been ongoing and the two countries will soon finalise the details.
Kenya and South Sudan have approached the World Bank seeking funds for the project that will open up Kenya and East Africa to Sudan and give a boost to trade between the two regions.
When completed, the Juba-Eldoret corridor will link Kenya’s North Rift town of Eldoret to the South Sudanese capital, Juba.
The project will be expected to kick off in January next year and has been scheduled for completion by the end of 2023.
Sources from Kenya’s treasury indicated last week that already the World Bank and the African Development Bank have expressed their interests in the project and have promised help in securing more donors.
Kenya’s finance permanent secretary Joseph Kinyua said the funding would come in form of loans which the two governments will jointly pay.
He added, “The two governments are committed to sourcing the funds for this project as we believe it is critical in enhancing trade ties between South Sudan and the East African region. We are glad that the World Bank and the African Development Bank are interested in working with us on this.”
