Cross-border infrastructure project aims to connect six countries through rail, road, and digital networks.
Six East African nations have signed a landmark agreement to develop a shared economic corridor stretching from the Indian Ocean coast to the interior highlands. The initiative, valued at an estimated $12 billion over 15 years, represents the most ambitious cross-border infrastructure project in the continent’s history.
The corridor will include modernized rail lines, expanded highway networks, shared power generation facilities, and a unified digital payment system designed to reduce barriers to cross-border commerce. Project architects say the corridor could increase intra-regional trade by up to 300 percent within a decade of completion.
International development organizations have praised the initiative as a model for regional cooperation, though they caution that similar projects in the past have been derailed by political instability, funding shortfalls, and governance disputes. The participating governments have established an independent oversight body to manage project funds and monitor progress.
Construction on the first phase, connecting two major port cities with a high-speed rail link, is expected to begin within 18 months following the completion of environmental impact assessments.
