EA Transport Ministers discuss Isaka-Kigali-Musongati railway project study

THE Three East Africa governments of Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi have reiterated their political will and commitments to hasten the success of the proposed Isaka-Kigali-Musongati construction project of a railway line which has been in discussion now for ten years without formal implementation. Transport Ministers of the three respective governments recently held a one day closed inter-ministerial meeting on the implementation progress of the railway project with a view to discuss a preliminary study on the construction of a railway line that would link their countries from Isaka railway station in Tanzania. Before their meeting started, the Ministers made the call in their key note opening addresses that, their governments have fully continued their strong commitment to the development of this project which would be beneficial to their people and  for the entire central development corridor.

Tanzania Minister for Transport Dr. Harrison Mwakyembe.

The Ministers and their countries representations in brackets are Dr. Harisson Mwakyembe (Tanzania), Alexis Nzahabwanimana (Rwanda) and Engineer Moise Bucumi (Burundi) also agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The document would bind the studies and agreements on how to go about the project to see if it’s economically viable for the development of their countries and make sure that, the project open avenues for trade and market opportunities in landlocked countries and help facilitate business within East Africa region on its completion. Tanzania’s Minister for Transport Dr. Harrison Mwakyembe said in an exclusive interview with The Guardian after the formal opening of their yesterday’s meeting that, “In this MoU, it would guide the three countries to see how they are going to put a budget of their own up to the completion of a project as each country is going to contribute its own money through a designated distance set for the construction through a respective country”.  Earlier in his key note address Dr. Mwakyembe said that, physical integration requires the connectivity of transport modal links among countries and across sub-regions. In other words, the transport Minister is on the view of the fact that, East Africa countries need to strengthen the plans of having an integrated network of railways, roads, maritime transport inland waterways and civil aviation. However, he added that, for the infrastructure to play its significance and potential in regional integration process, East Africa governments need to ensure the implementation of regional and sub regional initiatives in order to fulfill their commitments. He said that, their meeting together with other things would review the progress of the proposed upgrading of the Dar es Salaam port and new construction of over 400 kilometer stretch of Isaka-Kigali Rwanda and then to Musongati in Burundi and agree on strategic actions to be instituted by the three governments, and these he noted that would be made to general public later. In this regard he added that, governments need sustainable infrastructure systems to support economic activities and provide basic services especially for the poor people in rural vicinity, and in view of this, these infrastructures should be safe, reliable and affordable to assist land locked countries to compete in regional and international markets. The findings of the completed phase one feasibility studies were conducted by DB International from Germany (2009) and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) from USA. The two firms have considered the project to be economically viable and financially feasible. In her earlier presentation to the members of a Joint Technical Monitoring Committee (JTMC) of the three countries and other invited guests, the Project Coordinator who is a Rwandan national Josephine Uweneza highlighted the first phase progress of the study and noted that, a detailed study would be completed by end of March this year. However, he thanked the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United State Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) who had assisted in the undertaking of the completed feasibility studies for the construction of the new lines as well as the upgrading of Dar es Salaam port, noting that without their contribution, the project would have not been possible.