NANYUKI, KENYA - FEBRUARY 25: A woman walks alongside a railway line on February 25, 2016 in Nanyuki, Kenya. Situated in East Africa with a coastline on the Indian Ocean Kenya encompasses savannah, lakelands, the dramatic Great Rift Valley, mountain highlands and abundant wildlife such as lions, elephants and rhinos. From Nairobi, the capital, safaris visit the Maasai Mara reserve, known for its annual wildebeest migrations, and Amboseli National Park, offering views of Tanzania's 5,895m Mt. Kilimanjaro. Kenya gained its independence from British colonial rule in 1963 after an insurrection led by Jomo Kenyatta. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images) Photographer: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images Europe , Photographer: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images Europe
(Bloomberg) -- Burundi and Tanzania are seeking to raise $1.9 billion for a railway linking the two East African nations that could help landlocked Burundi boost its mineral exports, an official said.
“Now is the time to start fund-raising” for the 190-kilometer (118 mile) line from Musongati in Burundi to Tanzania’s Isaka, said Dieudonné Dukundane, executive secretary of Central Corridor, a government-backed agency that promotes regional transport development.
The railway will be part of a broader project eventually connecting Tanzania to Burundi’s northern neighbor Rwanda, which will cost about $7.6 billion, according to the website of the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa.
Linking Burundi with Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port could be a boon for the mining industry in the nickel-rich nation. The government in Bujumbura is targeting a 47% rise in mineral revenue in the 10 years to 2027.
Dukundane was speaking to reporters after a meeting of regional stakeholders in Burundi. - , Bloomberg News