Construction of the Sh450m One Border Stop Post at the Malaba border will start next Wednesday. The project is funded by the World Bank and is the largest in East and Central Africa. The commencement date was reached yesterday during the OSBP site handing over closed door meeting at the immigration offices in Malaba. The 12-member team was drawn from Ministry of Public Works headquarters, Kenya National Highway Authority, main contractor and consultants.

Sources at the meeting said Vagjiyani Enterprises will be the main contracting firm. Vagjiyani Hiten Valji received the site on behalf of the firm from the government led by Engineer Ronald Okinda. Immigration Department will be the lead agency in the project which when completed will accommodate all agency works at the Malaba border including, KRA, police, Immigration and many others.

Upon completion the OBSP is expected to facilitate faster movement of persons and goods across the borders to EAC member states. The project will also boost regional trade in line with the East African Common Market protocol that was ratified in July 2010. Border residents have lauded the move saying less time will be spent crossing borders for travelers.

The EAC is adopting the use of OBSPs as a trade facilitation concept to minimize delays at border points on major transport corridors. Apart from Malaba, the concept has also been implemented at the Katuna/Gatuna border post along the Uganda/Rwanda border. The EAC is adopting the use of OBSPs as a trade facilitation concept to minimize delays at cross border point on major transport corridors in the region.