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FAQs

FAQs

FAQs

What is EAC ?

East African Community

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP)

1. What is Northern Corridor?

Northern Corridor is multi-modal trade route linking the landlocked countries of Burundi, D. R. Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda with maritime Sea port of Mombasa.

The NCIP is a regional initiative launched in 2013 by Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, with South Sudan joining in 2015. It aims to accelerate infrastructure development, trade facilitation, and regional integration by improving transport networks (SGR, roads, ports), energy connectivity, and digital systems.

EAC aims for deeper economic integration, cooperation, and development among the Eight (8) Partner states, while NCIP focuses on fast tracking development of projects with the aim of improving transportation infrastructure, trade facilitation, and regional cooperation among four partner states (Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan)

  • Kenya
  • Rwanda
  • Uganda
  • South Sudan

The purpose of the NICP is to fast-track the implementation of the approved East African Community (EAC) programmes and projects based on the operational principles of asymmetry, complementarity, subsidiary, and variable geometry.

NCIP operates through 14 clusters, each chaired by a member state:

Chair Country

Clusters

Kenya

Commodity Exchange, Power Generation & Interconnectivity, Human Resource Capacity, Land for Infrastructure, Crude Oil & Petroleum Pipeline

Rwanda

Immigration/Tourism/Trade, Single Customs Territory, Defence, Peace & Security, Airspace Management

Uganda

ICT & Infrastructure, Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), Project Financing, Oil Refinery Development

  • Transport:
    • SGR extension negotiations (Naivasha–Malaba–Kampala).
    • Operational Kisumu Oil Jetty and OSBPs (reducing cargo clearance times).
  • Energy:
    • Progress on the Eldoret-Kampala-Kigali petroleum pipeline.
    • Cross-border power trading and grid integration.
  • Trade:
    • Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System (RECTS) to curb smuggling.
    • Reduced Mombasa Port clearance from 8 to 4 hours.

Decisions follow a three-tier structure:

  1. National Cluster Meetings: Technical teams review progress per country.
  2. Regional Cluster Meetings: Senior officials, ministers resolve bottlenecks.
  3. Heads of State Summit: Highest decision-making body (last held in 2018; 15th Summit pending).

  • Funding gaps for mega-projects like SGR.
  • Geopolitical delays (e.g., differing national priorities).
  • Inconsistent attendance by partner states at key meetings.

  • One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs): Faster clearance (e.g., Busia/Malaba).
  • Single Customs Territory: Harmonized tariffs/documentation.
  • RECTS: Real-time cargo tracking across borders.

11. What role does the private sector play in NCIP?

  • Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) fund infrastructure (e.g., SGR, energy projects).

The 15th NCIP Summit is planned for 2025 in Rwanda, pending completion of ministerial cluster meetings.

  • Joint defence agreements (intelligence sharing, border patrols).
  • RECTS and scanners at OSBPs to curb fraud.

  • Finalize SGR financing and construction.
  • Expand regional power grids and petroleum pipelines.
  • Strengthen digital integration (e.g., regional satellite project).

  • National Workshops: Update directive matrices and align with Kenya’s priorities
  • Regional Reports: Analyze performance across clusters and propose solutions.
  • Policy Alignment: Ensure NCIP goals match Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Agenda (BETA).