New Sh350m Busia park to boost trade and ease border congestion

Trucks stuck during a snarlup at Malaba border on May 26, 2020. [File, Standard]

Busia County is set to unveil a state-of-the-art parking facility for heavy commercial vehicles, designed to streamline the movement of goods along the Kenya-Uganda border.

The Sh345 million ongoing project aims to alleviate congestion at the border point and enhance trade efficiency in the region.

Located strategically at Mundika market along Busia-Kisumu Highway, a stone’s throw away from the border point, the park will serve as a holding area for trucks waiting for clearance to cross into Uganda.

“This initiative is expected to reduce the traffic snarl-ups that have long plagued the area, improving the flow of goods and services,” said Peter Odima, the Lands, Housing and Urban Planning Executive when he visited the site Tuesday.

He went on: “The park is 80 per cent complete and what’s remaining is its tarmacking. It will have the capacity to hold at least 150 trailers at any given time before they are cleared to cross the border,” he said adding that the park is expected to be completed within a month.

The facility will include amenities for drivers, shops, kiosks, and accommodation facilities which are set to boost local businesses and improve the economy of Busia town.

Odima said:  “We shall ensure truck drivers have a more comfortable wait as they process the necessary documentation for border crossing, the park is being developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.”

The private investor, who has not been disclosed will receive 70 per cent of the revenue generated from the facility, while Busia County will take 30 per cent of the share.

“This model not only brings in private investment but also ensures that the county benefits financially from the project’s success,” said Mr Odima.

He added: “The private investor will pay an annual land rate of Sh2 million, which will add to the economic benefits in the county and ensure the productive use of land that was previously idle.”

The county official said that the private investor will collect parking fees for 25 years after which the facility will be fully handed over back to the county government to manage it.

“This project is a game-changer for Busia. Not only will it reduce congestion and improve the logistics of cross-border trade, but it will also create much-needed job opportunities for our residents,” Odima said.

Busia town is the gateway to the Great Lakes Region. Nonetheless, traffic snarl-up on the trunk road has been the order of the day occasioned by transit trucks that pile up awaiting clearance at the Busia One Stop Border Post (OSBP).

At the same time,  the dualling of OSBP- Korinda junction road by the county government in partnership with the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) is underway.