For the second time in one month, the World Bank has extended a Sh75 billion loan to Kenya for various infrastructure developments in northern Kenya. Last month the bank approved a Sh15 billion credit line for the Kenya slums upgrade project that targets informal settlements in urban areas.
The government says the money will go towards the upgrading of roads, internet connectivity, and security in a project dubbed ‘Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project.’
The Horn of Africa gateway development project seeks to create digital connectivity and access to social services for at least 3.2 million people living in the northern region of the country, as well as improve the movement of people and goods.
The government has assured residents that the funds will go towards the upgrading of 365 kilometers of the 740-kilometers Isiolo-Mandera Regional Road Corridor and some 30 kilometers of regional roads.
The region, which has the least digital connectivity in the country, will also benefit from a fiber optic cable that will be laid along the 740-kilometer transport corridor in what is expected to spur the digital economy and boost inter-county trade through the development of border posts and border management systems.
The World Bank says the project is expected to take 6 years and is the first in a series of projects aimed at supporting the development of regional transport corridors and modal linkages under the Horn of Africa Initiative.
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