Ethiopian leader’s visit now gives Lapsset project renewed impetus

What you need to know:

  • China Road and Bridge Corporation has been contracted to build the first three berths at the port of Lamu.
  • The Lapsset projects present a promise of game-changing socio-economic development to Kenya and its partners.
  • Lapsset projects will bring much-needed equity in the development of Kenya in line with its Vision 2030 economic development blueprint.
  • Locals are taking up their space as investors along the corridor, promoting economic inclusion among the people of northern Kenya.

The recent visit by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to Kenya lent renewed impetus to the implementation of projects under the Lamu Port Southern Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) Corridor.

Already, the three governments involved in this project — Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan — are working hard behind the scenes to ensure that Lapsset becomes a reality, for the collective benefit of their people.

China Road and Bridge Corporation has been contracted to build the first three berths at the port of Lamu. The process of dredging will commence soon.

The Lapsset projects present a promise of game-changing socio-economic development to Kenya and its partners. Lapsset will open up an area that consists of a substantial 70 per cent of Kenya’s total land mass, which has hitherto suffered a measure of neglect and isolation, due to a slew of historical and geographical factors.

But most importantly, it will transform northern Kenya, once wrongly considered low potential, into a modern regional economy.

It is estimated that Lapsset has the potential to inject 2-3 per cent growth to our economy, from the core projects alone and a further 5-8 per cent through related investments, forming the foundation for sustained economic growth, going forward.

Most importantly, it will bring much-needed equity in the development of Kenya in line with its Vision 2030 economic development blueprint.

Already, the impact of some of the flagship Lapsset projects, like the Isiolo-Moyale-Hawassa Road, on which significant progress has been made both in Kenya and Ethiopia, are being felt. The road, which is 85 per cent complete and poised for launch in December this year, has cut travel time substantially from three days to under 10 hours.

REDUCED TRANSPORT COST

The overall cost of goods has come down with the reduction in the cost of transport, which was previously pushed up by sleep overs, wear and tear and costly vehicle maintenance.

Other areas in which significant improvements have been wrought by the key highway include access to markets and cross-border trade; service delivery by government institutions and agencies and maternal health.

The nomadic people residing in this area can now access markets for their livestock, with Nairobi being the leading one.

Locals are also taking up their space as investors along the corridor, promoting economic inclusion among the people of northern Kenya.

Beyond roads, Lapsset benefits are likely to be deepened once the inter-country standard gauge railway line is commissioned. Preliminary designs are complete for the Kenyan and Ethiopian route and expected to proceed to the Detailed Engineering Design stage.

The Government of Kenya and the Government of Ethiopia have signed a bilateral agreement to jointly pursue the development of the Lapsset standard gauge railway, while a memorandum of understanding has been signed between LCDA and Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) to facilitate the financing of this stage though an Infrastructure Project Preparatory Fund (IPPF) available through the New Partnership for African Development (Nepad).

It is estimated that about 1,600 jobs so far have been created directly through Lapsset programs.

But besides the jobs, Lapsset has also been a veritable tool for skills transfer, especially in the oil and gas; civil engineering and vocational skills.

As part of its corporate social responsibility, the Lapsset programme has been offering scholarships to needy and deserving students. The initiative has already benefited 350 students, largely to train in technical and professional courses.

In Lamu, a similar project is helping locals re-tool and compete favourably, ahead of the mega works.

The government will continue to put emphasis on key infrastructure projects identified under the vision 2030 initiative.

The author in CS for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development