Works on Dongo Kundu bypass set to begin

By PATRICK  BEJA  and TOBIAS  CHANJI

Kwale,Kenya:  The economic fortunes of Kwale County are set to improve as the building of the multi-billion Dongo Kundu bypass that will connect it to Mombasa County is set to begin.

Tendering  for  the  Dongo Kundu route that will cost more than  Sh20 billion begins this month, and residents are hoping for a better future once it is complete. Currently  residents rely on the Likoni Ferry service to access South Coast.

The eagerly-awaited project is expected to facilitate the establishment of a free port facility and light industries at Dongo Kundu as well as opening up South Coast for tourism and agriculture.

Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Director General Meshack Kidenda and  Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Gichiri Ndua separately confirmed yesterday that tendering for the project would take place this month.

 Northern Corridor project

In a statement, Mr Kidenda also confirmed that construction work will begin in September this year. “We are finalising documents to call for tenders by end March 2014. Construction – start of package 1 – will start in September 2014,” said Kidenda.

Kidenda said the bypass will have a 1.5km bridge across the Mteza   and Mwache channels. He said the bypass is expected to ease congestion at the ferry crossing where tourists and residents have been complaining of unnecessary delays.

Speaking during a courtesy call to Kwale Governor  Salim Mvurya, Ndua sought the assistance of the county government in ironing out any outstanding land issues.

“We hope that the tendering shall start this month and we are seeking ...to ensure that the by-pass project commences without further delay,” said Ndua, who admitted that  the project had taken too long to kick off. He said KPA  requires 3,080 hectares of land for the development of the much-awaited free port, which will comprise an industrial park and other facilities.

Single carriageway

He called on the county government to assist in acquiring land for the development of the port.

The bypass is approximately 16.2km of single carriageway.

KeNHA, under the Northern Corridor Transport Improvement Project (NCTIP) jointly financed by the Government and World Bank, contracted Mouchel Parkman Services Ltd to carry out project’s feasibility study.

The firm also handled environmental and social impact assessment and preliminary design of the project roads in 2008.

Lot One of the project will start at Miritini Junction and end at Mwache Junction and will comprise 9.5km Kipevu Link Road. Lot Two, measuring 8.4km, will start at Mwache Junction and end at Mteza Junction.

Lot Three on the other hand will start at Mteza (excluding Mteza bridge) and end at Kibundani Junction.

The building of the link roads and by-passes are expected to boost business at Kenya’s main port.

 The improvement of the freight transport link road is also crucial for the Northern Corridor project, which links Mombasa to neighbouring landlocked countries through Nairobi.

 It is expected that additional link roads will aid freight transportation, which has increased in the recent years overstretching the capacity of the existing port.

The State also seeks to ease trade  internally and regionally by constructing new container terminal at Mombasa port with financing from Japanese government.

Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya said the county will soon conduct an assessment of the extent to which the Dongo Kundu by-pass project will affect the region  in terms of resource contribution.

The governor said the planned Shimoni Port and the second container terminal are expected to bring immense economic benefits to Kwale residents.

“As a county government, we shall play our role in supporting KPA and other partners in implementing suchprojects especially in resettlements of the populations,” he said.