How modernising the Lwakhakha border post will boost trade

Busia, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT The East African Community (EAC), together with the Governments of Kenya and Uganda, are in the process of upgrading the Lwakhakha Border Post on the common border between the two partner states into a One-Stop Border Post (OSBP), as part of efforts to reduce congestion at the Busia and Malaba OSBPs.

The transformation of the Lwakhakha border into an OSBP aims to streamline customs procedures, reduce clearance times for goods and vehicles, and improve collaboration between Kenyan and Ugandan border agencies.

The upgrade is expected to reduce traffic at the Malaba and Busia OSBPs, boost trade along the Northern Corridor and improve cross-border security. The Lwakhakha OSBP will also enable the two countries to create a more conducive environment for trade and commerce, ultimately benefiting businesses and communities on both sides of the border.

During a site visit to review the status of the ongoing feasibility study of the Kisumu-Kisian-Busia/Kakira-Malaba-Busitema-Busia multinational highway, Engineer Godfrey A. Enzama, Principal Civil Engineer, EAC Secretariat, said the upgrading of the Lwakhakha Border Post into a border highway is part of the feasibility study of the 256km project funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

“This collaborative effort underscores the shared vision of promoting trade facilitation, border security and regional integration in East Africa,” Enzama said on Friday.

He added that upgrading Lwakhakha to OSBP status and diverting some of the trucks to Lwakhakha will solve numerous problems such as congestion at both Busia and Malaba, besides creating a shorter and alternative route along the Northern Corridor.

“Geographically, Lwakhakha is a shorter route to Kenya compared to Busia and Malaba in terms of mileage,” said Enzama. He further explained that promoting Lwakhakha towards OSBP will enhance value addition and promotion of high value exports to regional markets; and increase employment among the youth of the border community, among other stakeholders.

The feasibility study proposes to upgrade the existing 25km road between Lwakhakha and Kimaeti, starting at Kimaeti at Webuye – Malaba (Kenya side) and the 45km road between Mbale (Bumbobi) and Lwakhakha (Uganda side) to at least a two-lane, two-way single carriageway.

It will have wide shoulders to improve capacity and accommodate current and projected future local and cross-border traffic volumes along the corridor.

The road is expected to deepen regional integration and cross-border trade between Kenya and Uganda, and will provide an alternative route to the Busia and Malaba border crossings.

The highway is also expected to open the door to tourism. Feasibility studies for the 256km Kisumu-Kisian-Busia/Kakira-Malaba-Busitema-Busia multinational highway are currently underway by consultancy firm GOPA Infra Gmbh of Germany together with ITEC Limited of Kenya.

The highway, which will run from Kisumu in Kenya to Kakira town in Uganda, will involve rehabilitating the existing two-lane single carriageway to bitumen standards and upgrading it to a two-lane dual carriageway over a 104-kilometre stretch.

The $1.4 million feasibility study project funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) will determine the economic viability of upgrading existing single-carriageway multinational highway sections to highway standards.

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