The third Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor Council of Ministers meeting commenced on Wednesday in Juba.
The forum is to fast-track the implementation for peace, growth, sustainable development, and regional integration. It will run for 3 days, from 17th to 19th of this month
The LAPSSET Corridor project is a regional infrastructure project aimed at linking Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan to each other and to their neighbours in Eastern Africa
The project consists of seven key infrastructure projects, including a new 32-berth port at Lamu, interregional highways, railways, oil pipelines, airports, and resort cities.
This project is expected to provide transport and logistics infrastructure aimed at creating easy connectivity between Eastern African countries.
The LAPSSET Corridor programme is the largest Eastern Africa and most ambitious infrastructure in the region
South Sudan Minister of Transport Madut Biar Yel said the LAPSSET programme is an important project because it will facilitate the movement of people and ease trade within the region.
He stated that the governments of the LAPSSET member countries are committed to implementing the project.
Minister Madut said the government of the Republic of Kenya has connected the highway from Lamu to Nadapal.
He said it is now the role of the government of South Sudan to pick up from Nadapal to Juba, and from Juba, it will be connected to other parts, leading to the Central Africa Republic.
The Minister reiterated the South Sudan government’s commitment to fulfilling the requirement and ensuring that the LAPSSET project is implemented in the country.
According to Minister Madut, South Sudan is going to be a harbour and epicentre since it is strategically located in the LAPSSET project.
In his part, the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Mr. Kipchumba Murkomen said that they have come to review the LAPSSET progress made in the last 11 years.
Murkomen stated that this meeting will enable the state members to assess what had been done and ought to be done to see LAPSSET countries stay more connected.
He said the government of Kenya is committed to seeing that the LAPSSET project becomes a reality.
Kipchumba pointed out that Kenya has started the development and expansion of Lamu Port to attract foreign investors to boost the private sector.
According to the Kenyan Transport Cabinet Secretary, they have sent their team to different parts of the world to conduct market sounding that create awareness for international investors.
He believes that this market sounding will attract the investors that unlock the potential of Lamu port in terms of developing its economic zone.
The Director of Regional Integration for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Stephen Karingi said all the barriers that make it difficult for investors have all been dealt with.
Karingi stated that UNECA has a framework that harmonizes trade among the LAPSSET member states.
LAPSSET was an idea initiated in 2012 by three-member state leaders which include; the late Mwai Kibaki the president of Kenya, former Ethiopian Prime Minister late Meles Zenawi, and President Salva Kiir of South Sudan to connect the East African region to the West African countries.