Kshs 227B set aside for infrastructure dev’t

By Lynace Mwashighadi

The development of Infrastructure will be a priority in the 2017/2018 financial year, with 227.3billion shillings allocated to the sector.

Of this, 134.9 billion shillings will go to the construction of 7,000 kilometers of roads spread across the country, 75.6 billion shillings to the completion of the Standard Gauge Railway while 400 million shillings will go to the compensation of persons affected by the SGR project along the Nairobi – Naivasha route once the second phase of the Standard Gauge Railway project kicks-off.   .

In the 2017/18 financial year, the Government has earmarked the construction of 1,138km of low volume seal roads to enhance rural connectivity which will receive 27 billion shillings, 7,000km of new roads and 41 footbridges to get 63.66 billion shillings, rehabilitation of 224km of roads, and maintaining of an additional 36,225km of roads to facilitate efficient movement of goods and people which will receive a whopping 49.3 billion shillings.

The Government is committed to decongest major urban centers through the expansion of major roads in urban areas, such as the Outering road in Nairobi City and Mombasa road section dual carriage way.

To further decongest the City of Nairobi and improve traffic flow, the Government will also fast track the construction of Ngong Road, the improvement of road junctions and construction of missing-link roads and non-motorized transport facilities which will share the 63.66 billion set aside.

Under the 2017/2018 financial year budget, 44 billion shillings has been earmarked for domestically-financed road projects while donors will be expected to give monies for foreign-financed roads.

The Standard Gauge Railway project which is expected to ease transportation of Cargo from Mombasa has been allocated 75.6 billion shillings. 15.5 billion shillings will go towards completion of phase one of the SGR, and 59.7 billion shillings will go to the second phase.

Airports in the country have been allocated a whopping 2.6 billion shillings from the 2.62 trillion budget.

The chucks of monies will be used in the up-grading, modernization and expansion of Malindi, Isiolo airports, the expansion of Suneka Airstrip and Lokichogio Airport as well as Eldoret roads along the airport, while 200 million shillings will be set aside for the maintenance of ferries for the Likoni and Mtongwe  Channels.

In order to boost regional trade and enhance service delivery, the Government will prioritize the advancement of the LAPSSET project implementation on the first three berths at the port of Lamu and the construction of major roads.

A massive 10 billion shillings will therefore will go to the LAPSSET Project while 3.6 billion shillings will go to the port of Mombasa to complete the second container terminal at the Mombasa port as well as other Development projects within the port.