New road to boost trade with Kenya

YoTuT via Wikimedia Commons

The state minister for trade, Michael Kafabusa Werikhe, said when this road is complete, the quantity of exports and imports through Kenya is set to increase.

Warikhe was speaking at a contract-signing ceremony between Uganda National Roads Authority and Chinese contractor, China State Construction Engineering Corporation, recently. "With the construction of this road, we are going to see improved quantity of trade in this area and this is especially with Kenya and South Sudan," he said.

The 44.5-kilometer road will be constructed using a Shs 140bn loan from the African Development Bank and it will be completed within two years. Allen Kagina, the Unra executive director, was adamant that because of the productivity of the area, the road will benefit both Kenya and Uganda.

"Kenyans have over time told us that this is a shorter route, can you make this road for us," Kagina said.

"This is a very productive area for feeding both Uganda and Kenya and we expect production to go up. We also expect tourism to increase."