APRM • SECOND COUNTRY REVIEW REPORT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA 387. In addition, partners are expected to make commitments on the remaining following sectors: i) Health and social services; ii) Construction and related services; iii) Energy services; iv) Environment services; and v) Movement of natural persons. 389. Regional Expansion of Banking and Financial Services. Kenya is undoubtedly in the forefront of the removal of economic barriers. It has taken the initiative to expand financial services in the regional member countries. Some Kenyan financial institutions have established branches in the other EAC member countries. They are Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), Equity Bank and Fina Bank, among others. These branches are in addition to the mobile telephony financial services, which extend across the region including M-Pesa services. Furthermore, Kenya continues to play an important role in promoting peace and security and is participating in ongoing efforts to restore stability in both Somalia and South Sudan. 390. Conflict Resolution. Other notable achievements include institutionalization of mechanisms for early warning about conflicts, refugee management, control of the proliferation of small arms, electro monitoring within member states and information exchange for monitoring external threats to the region. 391. Finance and Investment. There is significant leveraging of the regional programme in the promotion of trade and investments as well as development of regional infrastructure. The Customs Union’s positive impact on increased intra-EAC trade and growth of revenue is felt and shared in all the Partner States. All the EAC countries have reported increased revenues since the operations of the EAC Customs Union were launched. 392. Transport and Communications. In the Infrastructure sub-sector, steady progress is maintained on the East African Road Network Project, in particular the Mombasa – Gatuna Road (Northern Corridor) and the Dar-es-Salaam - Mutukula Road (Central Corridor), which have been taken to the implementation stages. The completion of the re-construction of the Arusha- Namanga- Athi River road has boosted trade. Kenya continues to invest in improvement of the Northern corridor road network. In 2014, Kenya launched the LAPPSET road network, which links the Port of Lamu to South Sudan and Ethiopia, with the construction of berths at Lamu already in progress. 393. On the Railways sub-sector, there is the East African Railways Master Plan Study. Similarly, the projects of railways concession have been well sustained. | 173 |