•KITWE Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe (right) chats with Kitwe Intercity Bus Terminus project manager Albert Malama after signing a Memorandum of Understanding on the construction of the facility on Thursday. Picture by KENNEDY MUPESENI
By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
A PRIVATE company, Stalwart Investments has inked a deal with the Kitwe City Council (KCC) to construct an ultra-modern bus terminus and other facilities under Public Private Partnership (PPP).
Stalwart Investments is a local construction firm which has provided land and investment fund amounting to US$70 million.
The company has since started mobilising in readiness to start works on Nyerere Road.
Speaking after witnessing the signing at the weekend, KCC mayor Christopher Kang’ombe said the council would continue forging PPP initiatives to increase investments in the city.
“This is the first ever PPP arrangement for the construction of a bus station in the country and I am confident that the successful completion of the project will create a lot of business opportunities,” Mr Kang’ombe said.
He said once completed the facility would change the face of Kitwe for better and ease the cost of doing business as result of reduced traffic.
Mr Kang’ombe urged the developer to stick to the 36 months completion time frame saying the project was a legacy development for the Patriotic Front (PF) Government.
KCC construction committee chairperson Bornwell Lwanga said the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has taken long because the two parties wanted to follow the due process of the law.
“The project was conceived in 2012, before the council‘s approval we had to go through various processes to fulfil the PPP guidelines and requirements because we did not want to skip any process,” Mr Lwanga said.
Stalwart managing director Francis Bwalya said his firm would stick to the 36 months time frame and that there would support facilities such as shopping complex among other amenities.
“We will do a three storey building which will have other supporting infrastructure which will significantly change the face of Kitwe,” Mr Bwalya said.
