An Africanist Perspective

An Africanist Perspective

The race to be the gateway to Eastern and Central Africa heats up

Competition to link the Great Lakes to the sea is good, but there is a risk of overcapacity and debt overhangs

Ken Opalo's avatar
Ken Opalo
Jan 23, 2023
∙ Paid

I: Gateway to the Great Lakes

Kenya and Tanzania are locked in a tight race to be the gateway to Eastern and Central Africa. Their target landlocked countries (Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda) and region (Eastern DRC) comprise an economic catchment area with a population of more than 200m (and growing) and a combined GDP of more than $250b.

Source: The East Afri…

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