NAIROBI, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese-built Nairobi expressway that stretches from the western side of the city to the southeastern edge of the metropolis currently records an average daily traffic volume of 50,000 vehicles, the operator said on Thursday.

Moja Expressway Company CEO Steve Zhao said in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that the motorway has become an attractive mode of transport; between May, when it started trial run, and Dec. 1, the total traffic volume of the expressway has exceeded 7.6 million vehicles.

"With the increment in the number of vehicles in the city, we expect daily usage to reach 70,000 by mid-January 2023," Zhao said during the Moja Expressway annual general meeting.

The 27.1-km Nairobi expressway was financed and built by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Zhao said at present, the highway has 100,000 users who utilize the electronic toll collection method to access the road, which is equivalent to 68 percent of all users.

He added that the success of the project has inspired confidence for the CRBC to seek other infrastructure projects it can undertake under the PPP model.

He revealed that in order to increase the convenience of road users, the operator of the road will introduce the use of a mobile payment platform, M-PESA, as a method of payment by the end of January 2023.

Joseph Mbugua, principal secretary of the State Department of Roads, said the Nairobi expressway has had a positive impact on the country's economy by decreasing road congestion in Nairobi.

"It is amazing what the road has brought to our country because it has reduced the time spent traveling between the town center and the international airport," Mbugua added.

He revealed that Kenya is looking forward to other partnerships with Chinese firms in the area of infrastructure development through the PPP model. - Xinhua

Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are undertaking a feasibility study for the construction of an electricity transmission line from Kasese to Bunia.

The feasibility study is expected to be concluded by March 2023, according to our sources, with an inception report already done.

The transmission line is meant for Uganda to export excess power from the Nkenda substation in Kasese to eastern DR Congo as the two countries look to deepen trade across the border. Eastern DR Congo heavily depends on the more expensive generators and small solar grids to light up premises.

The feasibility study will, among other things, reveal the design of the transmission line and financial cost. It is estimated that the transmission line might cost up to $200 million.

Our sources say they are looking to international sources of finance, especially the United Kingdom, to borrow the funds for the project. The local capital markets are said to be exhausted with immense demands.

Experts say it usually takes nine months after the completion of the feasibility study to shore up the funds. Therefore, construction of the transmission line is expected to start at the end of 2023.

Also, parallel negotiations for a bilateral agreement as a legal document for the project are already underway, our sources told us. Uganda and DR Congo recently signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate the negotiations over the bilateral agreement to take place.

Among the most contentious issues that could dominate the negotiations is the issue around the manner in which the tariff will be set for the capital investment to be recouped.

At the signing of the MoU, a consortium of companies was revealed as the implementer of the transmission project. Elecnor, Sevicious Y Proyetos and Dott Services Limited form the consortium that also has the responsibility of sourcing the money on behalf of the two governments. However, it is no guarantee that this consortium will construct the transmission line. By Jeff Mbanga. The Observer