Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has challenged African countries to adopt and accelerate reforms that will attract and retain more private sector investment in infrastructure projects.

This he says is the only way that the continent will realize its ambitious growth in infrastructure.

President Kenyatta, who is the Chairman of East African Community (EAC), says that development of key transport corridors will further contribute to the realization of Africa Union’s vision of an inclusive growth agenda, for an integrated prosperous and peaceful continent.

Kenya has taken deliberate steps with the enactment of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) legislation, which aims at facilitating the private sector in the development of projects in transport, energy, water and ICT.

Kenyatta adds, “These partnerships are the only sure way of realizing development of key projects that will power our economies. Governments no longer have the monopoly of capital and it is therefore critical that we work with the private sector.”

“The establishment of the Africa 50 Fund, an initiative of the African Development Bank was endorsed by African leaders  to address the inadequacy of resources for infrastructure development in the continent requires African countries to undertake requisite reforms geared towards facilitating private sector to invest in infrastructure development and maintenance.”

“The private sector should be encouraged to take advantage of the new funding initiative by investing and partnering with African governments in infrastructure development.”

“The Kenya Government is committed to ensuring that all parts of the country have developed adequate roads, affordable electricity supply and clean drinking water to satisfy all basic infrastructural needs.”

“At a regional level, the East African Community has prioritized the development of key regional transport corridors to support trade and investments.”

The East African infrastructure projects include the rehabilitation and expansion of the Northern Corridor connecting the port of Mombasa with Kampala, Kigali, Bujumbura and the Eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the improvement of the Central Corridor connecting the port of Dar-es-Salaam with Bujumbura, Kigali and the DRC.

Other infrastructure projects are the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) project – a transport corridor that will form important transport connectivity between Eastern Africa and Western Africa countries further promoting intra-Africa trade and investment.

He welcomed continued collaboration between Africa and the European Union in achieving the continent’s development goals.

Kenyatta concludes,“Together we can realize the vision of developing Africa’s regional and continental infrastructure and promote socio- economic development and poverty reduction across the continent.”

Source: East Africa Businessweek