THE Governments of Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania yesterday signed a power inter connector memorandum of understanding (MOU) project worth USD 1.2 Billion.
Mines, Energy and Water development Minister Christopher Yaluma said the agreement signed yesterday would set out principles that underlined the relationship amongst the three governments of Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania.
Speaking in Livingstone yesterday during the signing ceremony, Mr Yaluma re affirmed the commitment of the Zambian government to the realization of the Zambia-Kenya-Tanzania power interconnector project which would link the Eastern African Power Pool (EAPP) to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
Mr Yaluma said once completed, the project would promote electricity trade, enhance security of electricity supply and foster regional trade.
He further noted that the project which is expected to start in December next year and expected to be completed in December 2018, would also stimulate investment in power generation to meet the increased demand from the large market that would be created by interconnecting the two sub regions.
My Yaluma however said the three countries could not fully realize the project in the absence of financial support from development partners and asked for more support.
“However, the three countries cannot fully realize the project in the absence of financial support from the development partners and other financing institutions. Therefore, I wish to appeal to our development partners to support the project by providing the required financial support,” Mr Yaluma said.
And Tanzania Minister of Energy and Minerals Professor Sospeter Muhongo said what was happening now in Africa was a fulfillment of what the continents forefathers wanted.
Professor Muhongo said Africa was still faced with a number of challenges in the education sector, infrastructure development and finances among others.
He said one key challenge was electricity which was a major factor to development.
Professor Muhongo said 50 percent of Africa’s population lived in rural areas and had no access to electricity.
“We need an investment of between 300 to 500 billion dollars as a region to meet some of these challenges. We want by 2030, both rural and urban Africa must have access to electricity,” Professor Muhongo said.
Some of the developing partners to the project which witnessed the signing ceremony included the European Union (EU), COMESA, the Norwegian Fund and World Bank.
Others were African Development Bank and China Development bank including some other financial institutions.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. A step in the “light” direction. Investment into the future is what Africa lacks and urgently needs to focus on and do.
Ati Mr Muhongo? I was told “muhongo” means liar in Swahili?
Selling power to the east. More loadsheding in the country
@Mwenya,
Its not selling power to the East. And to the contrary, load shedding is expected to easy up as a result of these interconnections. Power moves into the path of least resistance, so all the three countries stand to benefit from this project.
And once Congo develops its massive generation potential, Zambia tends to benefit through wheeling charges, and of course less of load shedding.
A step in the “light” direction indeed.
Hope it won’t be another failed project like tazara, tazama, zamtan etc. Nothing economic seem to have worked with Tanzania. Lack of public administration capacity /discipline on both sides