Kenya starts work on $650 million airport expansion
Kenya began work on a $653 million expansion of the capital's main airport on Tuesday, the second large-scale infrastructure project it has launched in a week aimed at boosting trade and cementing its status as a regional commercial hub.
The new terminal will be able to handle 20 million passengers when completed, three times the existing passenger flow through the airport, whose arrivals hall was gutted by a massive blaze in August.
Kenya launches construction of regional railway line
Kenya has launched construction of a $5.2 billion railway line which when completed will link Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan.
The 1,250-kilometre-long railway will be constructed with funding from China and will initially cover the Mombasa to Nairobi route.
The initial line is expected to be completed by 2017, with further extensions to Uganda, eastern DRC, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan to follow.
The railway line is expected to boost Kenya’s status as a regional economic hub and also promote economic integration of the East African Community (EAC) through the sharing of infrastructure facilities among member states.
In November 2012, East African heads of state met under the theme “deepening the EAC integration process through the development of efficient infrastructure systems to support trade and industrialisation”.
Uhuru launches construction of new JKIA terminal
President Kenyatta said that the intention is to make JKIA the most convenient, comfortable and secure airport in Africa.
“The construction of this new Greenfield Terminal with a capacity to handle more than 20 million passengers and eventually a second runway that is planned for this airport, will enable Kenya attain her National Vision 2030 aspirations to be a middle income country,” he explained.
Multibillion dollar Beira oil pipeline to Botswana
Mining Oil and Gas Services (MOGS), a South African-based company, intends to construct a multibillion-dollar fuel pipeline linking Mozambique (from Beira) and three Southern African countries through Zimbabwe including Botswana. This was recently reported by Zimbabwean publication The Herald.
MOGS is a black-owned company that focuses on providing various products and services to the mining, oil and gas services industry in South Africa and neighbouring countries through its specialist subsidiaries.
The Herald reported that the proposed pipeline will start in Beira and run through Zimbabwe in Harare and Bulawayo. From Bulawayo, it will run south-west to Botswana and run north through Zambia to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
