This archive report was first published on 29 October 2019.
Published on October 29, 2019, Kenya's Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Co-ordination Authority is working to increase the use of the Kenya-Tanzania link road by long-distance hauliers to boost cross-border trade.
The link road, which spans 1,545km, offers an alternative route between the port of Mombasa and Bujumbura, enhancing Customs management systems to reduce bottlenecks.
According to NCTTCA's CEO, Omae Nyarandi, the highway has opened up an alternative route to Bujumbura from Mombasa port since the opening of the one-stop border post (OSBP) at Holili and completion of the Voi-Taveta road.
Mr. Nyarandi stated, 'We are engaging stakeholders to promote its usage.' He further added, 'We are at an advanced stage to solve several small issues to ensure Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda utilize this corridor, reducing the distance from Mombasa to Bujumbura via the Northern Corridor by 358 kilometers.'
The distance to Rwanda has been reduced by 200km.
A logistics survey conducted by NCTTCA this year revealed that the route lacked geofencing, which would enable transporters to track their cargo, preventing theft and loss.
The survey report recommended that the Kenya Revenue Authority geofence the transit route from Mombasa to Burundi, DR Congo, and Rwanda, beginning with the Voi-Taveta/Holili transit section.
Mr. Nyarandi also noted that the exchange of data used in the clearance of transit goods and poor Customs business systems were among the issues that kept off transporters.
However, the authority is close to resolving these issues, which include the Single Customs Territory clearance of goods in transit to Burundi, Rwanda, and DR Congo through Tanzania.
