Ruto Reveals Plan to Dual Kenya-Tanzania Highway After Tragic Bus Accident
Kenyan President William Ruto has unveiled plans to upgrade the Kenya-Tanzania highway to a dual carriageway following a road accident that injured several Tanzanian Members of Parliament.
Speaking in Mombasa on Saturday, December 7, during the East African Community (EAC) interparliamentary games launch, President Ruto announced an agreement with regional Heads of State to rehabilitate the highway. The project will see the road revamped from Dodoma in Tanzania, through Mombasa, and extending to Malindi, aiming to enhance safety for road users.
Ruto highlighted that the improved highway would boost trade and tourism between the two nations once the upgrades are completed.
“Our Tanzanian friends who frequently use this route have agreed with us, as East Africans, to dual the road connecting Tanzania and Kenya to Malindi,” Ruto affirmed.
He emphasized, “This highway will also allow us to better capitalize on the tourism and leisure opportunities along our coastal towns.”
Additionally, Ruto announced plans to expand the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha, Kenya, to Uganda, with extensions to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He explained that this extension would enhance transport infrastructure and make travel across the East African region more convenient.
“I have good news. We have agreed with Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC to extend the SGR from Naivasha so that in the future, they can seamlessly travel to Mombasa using this railway,” Ruto stated.
The announcement followed a tragic accident on the Dodoma-Mombasa Highway, where a bus carrying 16 Tanzanian MPs collided with another vehicle in Tanzania’s Mbande area. The incident occurred when the bus driver, attempting to overtake on a narrow stretch, lost control and caused a head-on collision.
Dodoma Regional Commander George Katabazi confirmed the incident, revealing that the driver had been arrested and was in police custody as investigations continued.
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Ruto Reveals Plan to Dual Kenya-Tanzania Highway After Tragic Bus Accident
