Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen has said the government will implement the lessons learnt in South Korea to improve the transport system in Kenya.
Murkomen said he met with the President of Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC), Ham Jin-Gyu during the Korea-Africa Infrastructure Forum in Seoul.
“We discussed cooperation in various areas where the KEC has achieved tremendous success and gained expertise, including the framework for constructing and managing expressways and advanced technologies for managing traffic,” Murkomen said.
He explained that KEC is a state-owned enterprise founded in 1969 and is mandated to construct and manage expressways in Korea.
Murkomen said Korea expressways are dual carriageway roads of high standard, tremendously reducing travel time and vehicle costs wherever installed.
The CS revealed that KEC started with one expressway in 1970 between Seoul and Busan but now manages a network of 4,929km of tolled roads on 47 routes.
“Road infrastructure is an important enabler of logistics and efficient mobility a modern economy requires,” he said.
Murkomen Visits Korea Traffic Management Centre
Besides, Murkomen visited the Korea Expressway’s Traffic Management Centre and picked important lessons for Kenya.
He explained that the Centre employs integrated high technology to facilitate real-time monitoring of the entire expressway network.
“The system can detect traffic flow anomalies and initiate interventions. The facility communicates accurate traffic updates around the clock through various media channels,” he said.
Also Read: Ruto Seals Ksh31 Billion Deal in South Korea
Govt to Implement Lessons
Additionally, the CS visited the Godeok Grand Bridge which is still under construction.
Murkomen said the bridge is the longest cable-stayed concrete bridge in the world and is funded largely by own-source revenue.
The bridge carries 6-8 lanes of traffic over the Han River and is a section of a major new expressway project connecting Seoul to the south of the country.
He emphasized that the government would include the lessons learnt in South Korea to improve roads system in Kenya.
“As a government, we are committed to incorporating lessons from our partners to expand and modernize our roads even as we ensure safety,” he said.
Also Read: Win for Ruto as International Organization Agrees to Open Headquarters in Kenya
Other Deals Sealed in South Korea
Murkomen is among the leaders who have accompanied President William Ruto in his visit to South Korea.
Ruto has secured a $485 million (Ksh63 billion) concessional development funding including a $238 million (Ksh31 billion) loan for the implementation of the Konza Digital Media City.
The president also announced that Kenya has formally joined the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) as a Member State.
Ruto explained that the move will strengthen the country’s resolve to achieve self-reliance in vaccine production.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel for real-time news updates!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaB3k54HltYFiQ1f2i2C
