The infrastructure construction in East Africa is entering a period of intensive promotion. Uganda has applied for a € 207.7 million loan from parliament to upgrade 137 kilometers of roads. The monthly throughput of Terminal 1 at Dar es Salaam Port in Tanzania has reached a historic high of 46582 TEUs. The main body of the Mwachi Multipurpose Dam in Kenya has been completed by about 90% and water storage is locked in October. From Lake Victoria to the coast of the Indian Ocean, the three major infrastructure projects are accelerating simultaneously, and the East African regional connectivity and livelihood improvement project is entering a critical stage.

Upgrading 137 kilometers of roads in Uganda

On August 19th, the Ugandan government applied to parliament for a € 207.7 million loan to upgrade the Jinja Bukungu highway corridor and roads in Jinja city. The project covers 127 kilometers of main roads and 10 kilometers of urban roads, totaling 137 kilometers, upgraded from gravel roads to second-class asphalt pavement. The economic internal rate of return of the project is 16.7%, with approximately 179 million euros in loans used for civil engineering and insurance, and 28.51 million euros used for land acquisition compensation and supervision. The civil engineering contract has been signed and undertaken by China Power Construction International in 2023. After the completion of the project, it will connect the north and south transportation of Uganda, serve the Busuga region, and release the demand for building materials such as asphalt, cement, sand and gravel aggregates, and steel bars.

Expansion of Dar es Salaam Port

Dubai International Ports Group announced the expansion of Terminal 1 at Dar es Salaam Port in Tanzania. Saudi Aramco Group has won the contract for terminal modernization and will rebuild approximately 90000 square meters of seven freight yards and supporting facilities. In July 2026, the monthly processing capacity of yard 1 reached 46582 TEUs, setting a new historical high and more than doubling from 13779 TEUs in May 2024. The annual throughput of Dar es Salaam Port has exceeded 30 million tons, undertaking more than 90% of Tanzania's international maritime trade and serving landlocked countries such as Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. The expansion of the port will drive the procurement of dock ground engineering, concrete paving, steel structure warehouses, port machinery equipment, and intelligent systems. Key words: the Belt and Road news, engineering frontline, highway, port, water conservancy

Kenya dam locks in water storage

The main construction of the Mwachi Multipurpose Dam in Kenya has been completed by about 90%, with the goal of starting water storage in October 2026. The project has an investment of 20 billion shillings, approximately 155 million US dollars, a dam height of 84 meters, a designed water storage capacity of 136 billion liters, and a daily water supply of about 186000 tons after completion, serving over 1.6 million residents in Mombasa and Kwale County. The dam is the only roller compacted concrete dam in East Africa and is a flagship project for water security and climate resilience in coastal areas. It is equipped with sand dams, irrigation development zones, and downstream water supply networks. The main body of the dam is nearing completion, and it will enter the stages of mechanical and electrical installation, water pipeline laying, irrigation facilities and water supply network matching, which will benefit the demand for building materials such as concrete, steel, pipes, pumping equipment and waterproof materials. The construction of water supply networks and irrigation areas in Mombasa and Kwale County is expected to bring sustained procurement.Editor/Gao Xue