NAIROBI, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) and China Communications Construction Company on Monday signed a 17.9 billion shillings (about 166 million U.S. dollars) deal to construct a 453-km road that is part of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor project.
Peter Mundinia, director general of KeNHA, said in a statement that the tender award agreement is for stage construction of the LAPSSET development project and associated spur roads in the country's southeast region.
The road construction comprises of 257-km Lamu-Ijara-Garissa section which is part of the LAPSSET project as well as the Hindi-Bodhei-Basuba-Kiunga section which spans 113 km and the Ijara-Sangailu-Hulugho section which extends 83 km.
The LAPSSET has seven components that include construction of the Lamu Port at the Manda Bay; construction of railway line from Lamu to Isiolo (northern Kenya), Isiolo to South Sudan, and Isiolo to Ethiopia; construction of airports at Isiolo, Lamu and Lake Turkana and construction of highway from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to South Sudan, and Isiolo to Ethiopia.
Other components include construction of resort cities at Lamu, Isiolo and Lake Turkana; construction of an oil refinery at Lamu; and construction of an oil pipeline from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to South Sudan, and Isiolo to Ethiopia.
The project is expected to promote regional socio-economic development along the transport corridor, especially in the Northern, Eastern, North-Eastern and Coastal parts of Kenya, areas considered as economically marginalized. Enditem