On a visit to Brussels on Wednesday 29 March, the President of the Republic of Kenya, William Ruto, was received by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and then by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to deepen the partnership between the EU and Kenya at bilateral and multilateral level. Handshakes were exchanged in front of the cameras.
According to Ursula von der Leyen, one of the aims was to “deepen political and trade relations” with this East African partner country and to work together on the green transition within the framework of the EU’s €150 billion ‘Global Gateway Africa-Europe’ strategic investment programme (see EUROPE 13132/21).
“Global Gateway works for the clean transition”, Ms von der Leyen said on her Twitter account, welcoming the signing of a joint EU/Kenya document to fund “clean buses” in the Kenyan capital the same day.
In the margins of the meeting, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, and the Secretary of State for Transport Cooperation, Kipchumba Murkomen, signed a declaration of intent to finance the ‘Nairobi Core Bus Rapid Transit Line 3’ (BRT 3) electric bus line for a total amount of €347.6 million.
The EU will provide €45 million in grants from the EU budget. Support from the European Investment Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD) will total €236.3 million. Germany will provide technical assistance for the implementation of the project. The Kenyan government will contribute €66.3 million.
This bus line is a key element of the strategic Mombasa-Kisangani corridors. It is expected to be operational by 2030 and carry up to 300,000 daily commuters through Nairobi’s most congested areas with a bus every 3 minutes during peak hours, according to the Commission.
“By supporting the implementation of a safe, clean, high quality and efficient public transport system in Nairobi, Team Europe (the EU, its Member States and its financial institutions: Editor’s note) is the key partner in Kenya’s green transition”, the European Commission said in a statement.
Last November, in the presence of President Ruto, Kenya and the EU inaugurated in Mombasa the first section of a 560 km upgraded highway along the Northern Corridor - East Africa’s busiest trade and transport route (see EUROPE 13067/22).
To view the Global Gateway flagship projects identified for Africa in 2023: https://aeur.eu/f/63x (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)