By PPS
Negotiations for funding and construction of a Decker road from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Westlands at an estimated cost of Shs 25billion are in an advanced stage.
This was revealed by the visiting Word Bank Vice President for Africa Region Mr Makhtar Diop who when paid a courtesy call to President Kibaki at State House Nairobi on Friday.
During the talks, President Kibaki and Mr Diop exchanged views on the status of the partnership between World Bank and Kenya.
Acknowledging that Kenya has a long standing relationship with the World Bank, the President briefed Diop on various interventions the country had put in place so as to improve the living standards of her citizens.
The Head of State emphasised that the Government was mainly concentrating on three fundamental social sectors of education, health and infrastructure development.
President Kibaki added that with the enactment of the new Constitution, Kenya was poised to become a prosperous and democratic nation whose resources are equitably distributed especially under the devolved structures of governance.
He applauded the cordial relationship between World Bank and Kenya noting that to date, the country’s projects portfolio supported by the Bank is estimated to be about 3.3 billion dollars.
The funds, the Head of State noted, covered projects in key sectors of the economy including roads, water storage facilities and sanitation works, energy, power generation, agriculture, education, Health and ommunity programmes as well as social protection.
Diop affirmed his personal commitment to strengthen the cooperation between World Bank and Kenya especially in the implementation of the new Constitution.
He commended Kenya for leading the way in consolidating democratic ideals with the enactment of the new Constitution that created the devolved county governments.
Terming the devolved structures of governance wonderful and of their own kind in Africa, the World Bank’s Vice-President for the Africa Region assured Kenya of the support she required to succeed in underpinning necessary reforms and the future of the country and its people.
