Kenya signs deal with Chinese company to construct Lapsset road

Posted on : Wednesday, 21st April 2021

Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) have signed a major deal of 17.9 billion shillings (about 166 million U.S. dollars) with a Chinese Construction firm. The partnership is to construct a 453-km road that is part of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor project.

The road construction encompasses of 257-km Lamu-Ijara-Garissa section which is part of the LAPSSET project in addition to the Hindi-Bodhei-Basuba-Kiunga section which covers around 113 km and the Ijara-Sangailu-Hulugho section which extends 83 km.

Director General of KeNHA, Peter Mundinia, mentioned in a statement that the tender award agreement is for stage construction of the LAPSSET development project and related spur roads in the country’s southeast region.

The LAPSSET has 7 main components that consist of construction of the Lamu Port at the Manda Bay, construction of railway line from Lamu to Isiolo (northern Kenya), Isiolo to South Sudan, and Isiolo to Ethiopia; construction of airports at Isiolo, Lamu and Lake Turkana and construction of highway from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to South Sudan, and Isiolo to Ethiopia.

Other workings include construction of resort cities at Lamu, Isiolo and Lake Turkana; construction of an oil refinery at Lamu; and construction of an oil pipeline from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to South Sudan, and Isiolo to Ethiopia.

The project is anticipated to endorse regional socio-economic improvement along the transport corridor, especially in the Northern, Eastern, North-Eastern and Coastal parts of Kenya, areas which are considered as economically marginalized.