The board of African Development Bank Group (AfDB) approves 217 million dollars loan to finance a road project connecting Horn of African countries. It is a milestone project that will contribute a lot in connecting Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea and Djibouti.
The 223.3 million dollar project, of which six million dollars is covered by Kenyan government, covers the 740 km Isiolo-Mandera corridor and will boost regional integration and encourage trade between Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. About 867,000 people who reside around the project area are expected to benefit from the initiative both directly and indirectly.
The road project is expected to contribute to the socio-economic development of communities along the corridor, which is characterized by high poverty levels and prone to insecurity, the Bank said.