Travel on the Trans-African Highway joining the Cape to Cairo via nine African countries has just become a little smoother with the completion of a 251-kilometre stretch of highway between Dodoma and Babati in Tanzania.
Speaking at the official opening of the link between central Tanzania and Kenya, African Development Bank (AfDB) president, Akinwumi Adesina, said “with the completion of the road, traders and travellers now conduct immigration procedures on only one side of the border, reducing time and costs, through the Namanga One Stop Border Post.”
Namanga is one of two one-stop posts between Tanzania and Kenya.
“Thanks to these efforts, the volume of trade between Tanzania and the rest of eastern and southern Africa has risen to US$1.1 billion,” he said.
The Trans-African Highway connects South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.
There are currently nine Trans-African highways totalling 60 000 kilometres, of which 12 000 kilometres still needs to be tarred or brought up to standard.
South Africa is now relatively well connected by road to Kenya following the completion of the Dodoma-Babati link.
“This road is very important in terms of facilitation of trade and business through transport,” said Tanzania National Roads Agency CEO Patrick Mfugale. “You can travel from Cape Town to Cairo, through Tanzania, without having to use rail or airfreight.”
Adesina called for the construction of an airport and ring road in the Tanzanian capital Dodoma, noting that the development bank would strongly support any critical infrastructure developments in the city.
The AfDB has invested US$3.6 billion in Tanzania, with an active portfolio of US$2 billion, 53% of which is in road projects.
