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Uhuru wins transport and infrastructure award


President Uhuru Kenyatta has been declared this year’s winner of the African award on transport and road infrastructure.

The Africa Road Builders on Friday awarded President Kenyatta the 2018 Babacar Ndiaye award in a ceremony which took place in Dakar, Senegal, in recognition of the Jubilee government’s projects in railway, road, air as well as a nationwide street lighting.

The President of Media for Infrastructure and Finance in Africa Adama Wade cited the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway as major project that has had an immense impact.

“The SGR has reduced costs of travelling between the two cities by half and at the same time taking half of the time for the trip,” said Adama.

PHOTO | COURTESY
PHOTO | COURTESY

IMPROVE TRANSPORT

While congratulating President Kenyatta, the selection committee announced that the presentation of the trophy will take place on May 23 in Busan, South Korea, during the African Development Bank Bank annual meeting.

“We thank and congratulate the AfDB and its President Dr Akinwumi Adesina for putting the issue of roads and transport high on its agenda through its ‘High 5 to Transform Africa’ programme,” said Mr Wade.

The General Commissioner of Africa Road Builders Barthélemy Kouame noted that transport networks, like blood vessels, must not be clogged.

He congratulated Kenya for the efforts to improve transport and to foster regional growth through such projects as the Lamu Port.

“We note the crucial role Kenya is playing as a commercial hub of East and Central Africa and the investment in big infrastructure projects to live up to the status,” he said.