Tanzania starts test runs on section of electrified SGR network

In a major milestone on its journey towards modernising its railway network, Tanzania has started test runs on a section of its new electric-powered standard-gauge railway (SGR) line and has... 

IFC financing construction of Kenyan LPG import, storage facility

Kenyan company Mombasa Gas Terminal (MGT) is set to build a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) import and storage facility, after receiving a mulitmillion-dollar loan from the World Bank Group. The... 

Ethiopia to start GERD turbine testing

Ethiopia intends to start testing two turbines at the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), after filling the reservoir for the second successive year. “The second filling of the... 

Tanzania gearing up for its first electrified rail network

The East African region is set to have its first electric-powered railway network in Tanzania, where the State-owned Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) is preparing to take delivery of electric... 

Kenyan company in Phase 2 of Ethiopian geothermal exploration project

Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) has embarked on the second phase of a $76.8-million geothermal exploration project in Ethiopia. The company has announced that it has started drilling... 

SA developer wins $4.5bn Ethiopia housing contract

South African developer Property 2000 has won a $4.2-billion contract to build affordable houses in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. The project will involve the construction of 500 000 units... 

Vodacom-led consortium awarded Ethiopia telecoms licence

A consortium that includes South Africa’s Vodacom has been awarded a licence to provide telecommunication services in Ethiopia, a country that until recently locked foreign companies out of the... 

Kenya’s new $2.8bn Lamu port starts operations

Kenya has achieved a major milestone in its quest to become East Africa’s regional logistics hub with the commissioning of the new Lamu port. The country operationalised the first berth of the new... 

Air Tanzania grows fleet as it seeks to ply new routes

Tanzania’s national carrier, Air Tanzania, is set to take delivery of three new aircraft as it seeks to grow its fleet to ply new regional and international routes. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa... 

UAE firm moves to partner with Ethiopia to unlock solar potential

United Arab Emirates-based renewable-energy company Masdar has committed to helping Ethiopia exploit its enormous solar energy potential to spur economic growth. This comes after the company signed... 

Intricate talks under way on East African Crude Oil Pipeline

Partners in the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) project are racing against time to conclude crucial agreements ahead of the signing of the final investment decision in the second quarter of... 

Djibouti contracts Kenyan firm to drill geothermal wells

Djibouti has contracted the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) to drill three geothermal wells as the country moves to exploit the resource to increase electricity access. The... 

New AU chair vows to find solution to Ethiopia dam conflict

Newly elected African Union (AU) chairperson Felix Tshisekedi has promised to find an amicable solution to the protracted dispute between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan over the Grand Renaissance Dam... 

Chinese firms to implement 341-km Tanzania rail project

Two Chinese companies will implement the fifth phase of Tanzania’s standard-gauge railway (SGR) project at a cost of $1.3-billion. The companies, China Civil Engineering Construction and China... 

Ethiopian telecoms firm eyes mobile-money market as monopoly nears end

Ethiopia's Ethio Telecom intends to venture into the mobile money transfer market as part of its ambitious growth strategy, in terms of which the company aims to generate $1.4-billion in revenue by... 

Kenya earmarks $8.7m for Jomo Kenyatta Airport refurbishment

Kenya intends to invest $8.7-million to refurbish Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in an effort to position the facility as a regional aviation hub. After abandoning plans to build an... 

Floating pedestrian bridge links Mombasa Island to Kenyan mainland

Kenya has opened a $17-million floating bridge in the Indian Ocean that links Mombasa Island to the mainland south for use by the public. The 1.2-km-long Liwatoni pedestrian floating bridge was... 

Siemens Gamesa wins big Ethiopia wind farm contract

Spanish renewable-energy company Siemens Gamesa has won a contract to implement a 100 MW wind power project in Ethiopia, a development that will increase its footprint in Africa. This will be... 

MTN Uganda secures 12-year licence renewal after paying $100m fee

Telecoms giant MTN Uganda has resolved a protracted dispute with the Ugandan government, a development that will see its operating licence renewed for 12 years. The company announced the conclusion... 

Tanzania, Zambia seeking $400m for petroleum pipeline rehab

Tanzania and Zambia are negotiating for a $400-million syndicated loan to finance the upgrade of a petroleum pipeline jointly owned by the neighbouring countries. The project will involve expanding... 

Kenya eyeing geothermal PPPs with combined capacity of 560 MW

Kenya intends to implement geothermal power projects with a combined capacity of 560 MW under a public–private partnership (PPP) framework, as part of efforts to enhance electricity generation from... 

Kenyan cement firms want protection from surging imports

Cement manufacturers in Kenya are pushing for tough interventions intervention by government to stem the influx of imports, which are threatening the competitiveness of local producers. National... 

Kenya plans to inject capital into struggling airline

The Kenya government plans to inject capital into Kenya Airways as part of the nationalisation process for the struggling national carrier. National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani revealed... 

East African criminals using Tanzanian ports to smuggle wildlife

Criminals involved in the illegal trafficking of wildlife products in East Africa are using the ports of Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, in Tanzania, as export and transit hubs, a new report shows. The... 

Uganda says it will stand firm in standoff with oil majors

Uganda has vowed to stand firm concerning a standoff with foreign oil majors that have stalled the construction of the Uganda–Tanzania crude oil pipeline. President Yoweri Museveni has said that,... 

Kenya officially joins club of oil exporting countries

Kenya has officially joined the league of oil exporting countries after President Uhuru Kenyatta flagged off the first ship laden with 200 000 bbl of crude, worth about $12-million. The ship was... 

Kenya outlines plan to revive century-old railway network

Kenya intends to revive its century-old metre-gauge railway (MGR) line after failing to secure funding to extend the standard-gauge railway (SGR) network to the border town of Malaba. The East... 

Kenya fails to secure funding for extension of flagship rail project

Kenya’s flagship infrastructure project, the standard-gauge railway (SGR) project, will terminate about 120 km from the capital, Nairobi, after government failed to secure funding for an extension... 

Ethiopia appoints consortium to drill steam wells for geothermal power station

Ethiopia has contracted a consortium of Chinese and Kenyan companies to drill steam wells as the country accelerates plans to exploit its vast geothermal resources. The $76.8-million contract has... 

Ethiopia and Eritrea announce plans for new rail link

Ethiopia and Eritrea have announced plans to building a railway line connecting the Ethiopian capital city of Addiss Ababa and the port of Massawa, in Eritrea. According to Ethiopian Prime Minister... 

Ethiopia moving to scale up investments in solar

Ethiopia is scaling up investments in solar energy after unveiling six projects that will have a capacity to generate 750 MW.   As part of its ambitions to become a net exporter of electricity, the... 

Kenya aims to begin exporting oil within months

Kenya is aiming to export its first consignment of crude oil in a few months, after amassing 60 000 bbl in storage tanks in the coastal city of Mombasa. British firm Tullow Oil has revealed that... 

Rwanda receives $265m from AfDB for power distribution infrastructure

Rwanda’s efforts to increase electricity access received a major boost recently when the country secured $265-million to finance the construction of distribution facilities. The funds, secured from... 

Completion of grid project opens way for renewables in Kenya

Kenya is set to connect about 310 MW of electricity generation capacity to the national grid, following the completion of a much-delayed transmission line project. After about two years delay, the... 

Developer of Ethiopian geothermal plant targeting financial close in 2019

A private company implementing a $2-billion geothermal power plant in Ethiopia is hoping to attain financial closure next year to enable it to deliver the first 50 MW by 2021. Tulu Moye Geothermal... 

Kenya mulling oil pipeline connecting it to Ethiopia, South Sudan

Kenya is set to embark on a feasibility study for a 790 km crude oil pipeline connecting the country to Ethiopia and South Sudan. The Lamu–Isiolo–Moyale pipeline will be part of the Lamu Port–South... 

Kenya expressway project hangs in the balance

Construction of a $2.1-billion expressway between the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and the port city of  Mombasa hangs in the balance following a decision by President Ururu Kenyatta's government not... 

Kenya to lower age limit on used-vehicle imports to promote local assembly

Kenya has decided to reduce the age limit of used vehicles allowed into the country to promote local assemblers, who are struggling to increase sale of new vehicles in a market choking with... 

Tanzania approves first large-scale wind farm project

The authorities in Tanzania have granted Australian company Windlab approval to build a 300 MW wind farm, which is expected to contribute significantly to the country’s energy needs. This comes... 

Uganda puts down deposit for six aircraft

In a significant step towards reviving its defunct national carrier, Uganda has paid deposits for six aircraft – four Bombardier CRJ900 and two wide-body Airbus A330-200 jets. jretsThis comes after...