Editor,

Efforts by partner states of the East African Community (EAC) to build one joint railway project should be supported by all East Africans.

Poor infrastructure is still rendering our region less competitive on the international market compared to other regional blocs like the European Union (EU).

Currently in Rwanda, transport costs account for the high prices on many commodities. This is because on imported and exported goods, a reasonable percentage of costs go to the transport component.

Once this project is in place, it will cut by almost 80 percent of the road cost.

This will lead to price reduction, more goods on the market, and easy movement of goods and persons within the region and outside.

East Africans should fully support this Idea bearing in mind that if implemented, it will be the first time the region with a market base of close to 127 million people is initiating and operationalising a joint infrastructural project- decades after the colonial regime constructed the Kenya-Uganda railway line.

There are very positive signs that the project is on the right path, now that studies have been completed on the Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) – Musongati (Burundi) - Kigali (Rwanda) routes.

Nkurunziza Joseph
Nyamirambo