Egypt’s Elahramat Engineering signs deal to support infrastructure projects, including a new urban center in Kalemie.

Highlights:

• MoU signed between Tanganyika province and Egypt’s Elahramat Engineering on July 21, 2025
• Planned 40 km² urban extension aims to move Kalemie to higher ground
• Project includes housing, roads, airport upgrade, and industrial zone

On July 21, 2025, the provincial government of Tanganyika, Democratic Republic of Congo, signed a memorandum of understanding with Elahramat Engineering, an Egyptian company under the Mahmoud Samih Holding group. The agreement outlines both parties’ intention to cooperate on major infrastructure projects across the province, notably the construction of a new town in Kalemie, the provincial capital.

The initiative addresses Kalemie’s vulnerability to flooding by proposing an urban extension on a non-flood-prone site. A master plan for this “new Kalemie” was previously drawn up in 2020 by Polish firms Newton Company and Open Architekt. The 40 km² development would stretch northeast from the airport to the village of Lukwangulo and from Kainda to Kasambondo.

Spanning a 20-year timeline, the project aims to address urban growth, drainage issues, and unplanned land use. To date, neither the 2020 plan nor the newly signed MoU discloses projected costs or funding sources.

Under the terms of the deal, Elahramat Engineering is expected to provide technical and operational support. Local authorities have presented the Mahmoud Samih Holding group as a major contributor to Egypt’s new administrative capital, citing its role in building key facilities such as monumental gates, residential areas, and memorial sites.

Beyond the new town, the MoU prioritizes several initiatives: social housing, road upgrades, a health and education infrastructure program, an agri-food and industrial park, and the modernization of Kalemie’s airport. Both parties also agreed to consider additional projects based on evolving priorities.

The signing followed a diplomatic visit to Egypt by Governor Christian Kitungwa Muteba and National Planning Minister Guylain Nyembo earlier in July. Their mission included site visits and talks with Egyptian construction and infrastructure firms.

Mahmoud Samih Holding announced it could begin work on the priority projects within 60 days of the MoU’s signature.

This article was initially published in French by Timothée Manoke (intern)

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho