EU finances US $28m road project

The EU has given the government of Rwanda US $28 million to build the main road that connects the country to the sea ports of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Mombasa in Kenya, an EU official told IRIN on Wednesday. The head of the EU delegation in the country, Lester Jeremy, said construction of the 60-km stretch of the Kayonza-Kigali road was due to begin in July. The Rwandan government has contracted a Cologne-based company, Strabag International, to build the road. Finance Minister Donat Kaberuka said the road's repair was crucial as it was part of the highway that connected landlocked Rwanda to feeder sea routes. The road supplies the Rwandan capital, Kigali, with all imports transported by road from Dar es Salam and Mombasa ports. Food produced in the eastern part of the country is also transported to Kigali through the Kayonza-Kigali road. Jeremy told IRIN that the EU was examining ways of funding the construction of feeder roads within Kigali, said to cover at least 26.5 km. He said the EU had also promised to fund the renovation of Kigali International Airport.