EAC TO DEVELOP BETTER ARUSHA TO MOMBASA ROAD LINK
With the completion of the Arusha to Nairobi highway finally in sight, the East African Community is now turning its attention to ‘the missing link’, a better highway connection from the seat of the EAC in Arusha via Moshi – Taveta and Voi to Mombasa. Arusha, as the ‘capital of East Africa’ has seen its economic fortunes change to the better and being called ‘the safari capital of East Africa’ is a key gateway for tourists. This has spurred a boom of sorts for new hotels, resorts and conferencing facilities spring up in recent years along the corridor from the Kilimanjaro International Airport and Arusha itself, supporting the tourism industry but also facilitating the business travelers as well as ever more political delegations interacting with the EAC Secretariat. Sections of this road on the Kenyan side between Voi and the border with Tanzania at Taveta are still in need of an upgrade and EAC officials have now made this a priority to ensure that a modern road enables increased trade but most importantly easier road access to the Tanzanian national parks for tourists coming from Kenya. A range of natural attractions await visitors to this part of Tanzania just across the border, from Lake Chala over Kilimanjaro National Park to the Arusha National Park, and of course the famous parks on the northern circuit.
Mostly though it is the access to the port of Mombasa which is of keen interest for the EAC as it aims to promote growing internal trade, including access for agricultural produce to key consumer markets and create the infrastructure to attract more investments from abroad.
Adds this correspondent in closing: Just make proper provisions this time to maintain all these beautiful new roads to keep them intact …
