Kenya to rehabilitate transport network on Lake Victoria

_________

The Kenyan ministry of transport has rolled out plans to rehabilitate major marine, air and road transport infrastructure in the Lake Victoria port city of Kisumu to boost trade in the East African region, according to government official Thursday.

Top on the list is the rehabilitation of the main pier at the Kisumu port, which is in a state of disrepair, transport Minister, Ali Chirau Mwakwere, who toured the dilapidated infrastructure told PANA.Wagon ferries and the dry dock where marine vessels had been undergoing repair works would also be rehabilitated to strengthen trade through Lake Victoria and ease transport costs on roads.

Mwakwere, however, clarified that the Kisumu pier was still being managed by his ministry and was not part of the concession given to the Rift Valley Railways Company, which is presently managing the Kenyan and Uganda railway networks.He said the government was, instead, working in conjunction with the Rift Valley Railways Company to dredge the port and rehabilitate cargo ferries, he clarified.

Mwakwere challenged entrepreneurs in the region to take advantage of the inland cargo depot at Kisumu, which has state of the art facilities but was currently being under-utilized, with only 21 percent of the facility being put to use.He also announced that Kisumu Airport would be expanded to international standards.

_____________
PANA