The governments of South Sudan and Kenya have begun consultative discussions with a number of international donors to finance the KES90bn ($1.02bn) Juba-Eldoret development corridor.

A part of the Lamu Port-Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport project (LAPSET), the 930km Juba- Eldoret Road corridor will be managed separately.

The link between South Sudan and Kenya is expected to considerably lower the cost of cargo transportation from the port of Mombasa to the landlocked east-central African country.

Kenya’s Finance Permanent Secretary Joseph Kinyua was quoted as saying that that the World Bank and African Development Bank have already showed their interest in providing finance for this major road project.

Funding is being collected in loans, which the two governments will later pay from the tax money, Kinyua added.

The study and design job for the Kenyan stretch for the corridor has started and is estimated to be completed by May 2013.

The road under the LAPSET project from Kenya’s Lamu town in the coastal area will link to this road, providing people with alternative routes.

"Funding is being collected in loans, which the two governments will later pay from the tax money."

Kenya’s Roads Minister Frankline Bett said that the governments intend to divide the project into ten lots of sections measuring 80km-140km.

The section which will be executed by the government of Kenya is classified as road A1, and begins from the northern border of Tanzania at Isebania via Mukuyu, Kisumu, Kakamega, Kitale, Lodwar, Lokichogio to Nadapal.

The Government of South Sudan will commence the construction of the Nadapal to Juba section.

Once completed, the road will benefit the capital of South Sudan, Juba, as well as the eastern part of the country, which is considered to be the location of the primary oil exploration.

Construction on the Juba-Eldoret corridor is scheduled to commence in early 2014 and end in 2023.