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Construction of Kenya-South Sudan road to start soon - CS Murkomen

Roads and Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen and his South Sudan counterpart Simon Mijok Mijak. (X/Kipchumba Murkomen)

By Mercy Asamba | Monday, February 12, 2024

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and his South Sudan counterpart Simon Mijak on Monday agreed to address the issues surrounding the development of the 350km Nadapal - Juba road.

The road will connect Kenya to South Sudan and aims to ease movement of people and goods between the two neighbours.

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This decision follows the directive of Presidents William Ruto of Kenya and Salva Kiir of South Sudan, who instructed the ministers to facilitate seamless connectivity between the Port of Mombasa and Juba.

The two ministers have committed to signing a Memorandum of Understanding that seeks to separate the border issues from connectivity, paving the way for the construction of the road. During the meeting, CS Murkomen also reaffirmed Kenya's commitment to completing its part of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor project.

The South Sudanese Minister stressed the importance of the Nadabal - South Sudan road, saying its upgrade to bitumen standards will boost the socio-economic development of the two nations.

The governments of Kenya and South Sudan had earlier issued a no-objection approval to the construction, a move that will bring numerous bilateral and multilateral benefits. These include enhancing seamless direct trade between the two nations, reducing transportation costs of exports and imports, reducing the travel time of business people, and creating of numerous job opportunities.

“The completion of the Nadabal – Juba road will provide seamless connectivity between the two countries. Eventually, the road will connect to the one from Juba to Douala in Cameroon through the Central African Republic, effectively linking East Africa with West Africa as part of the Trans-African Highway,” said Mr Murkomen.

The CS thanked the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority for facilitating discussions between Kenya and South Sudan to enhance connectivity between the two nations.