• The cyclists will be drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi and will tour the five EAC partner states.
• In Burundi, the tour will connect Rumonge-Bujumbura-Ngozi-to Rwanda border then to Kigali.
Over 100 cyclists are expected to take part in the 3rd East African Bicycle Tour dubbed Tour d’EAC 2019.
The cyclists will be taking on an epic route of over 4,300km around East Africa over a course of 50 days. The tour is themed 'Integrate or Perish' is set for August 1 to September 20.
According to the Team Leader and Director of Campfire Logs Guild of Uganda, the lead organizer of the Bicycle Tour, John Bosco Balongo, the 3rd East African Bicycle Tour will be flagged off on August 1 at the Independence Monument in Kampala, Uganda by the 2nd Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs of the Uganda, Kirunda Kivejinja.
The route of the 3rd Bicycle tour will cover Kampala-Jinja-Malaba on the Ugandan side. On the Kenyan side, to will pass through Malaba-Eldoret-Nakuru-Nairobi-Kajiado to Namanga.
On the Tanzanian side, the tour will connect Namanga-Longido-Arusha-Moshi-Dar es Salaam-Chalinze-Morogoro-Gairo-Dodoma-Nzega to Tabora. From Tabora, it will pass through Usinge and enter Burundi through Mugina-Manyonvu border.
In Burundi, the tour will connect Rumonge-Bujumbura-Ngozi-to Rwanda border then to Kigali.
From Kigali, the tour will pass through Ruhengeri to Kisoro-Kihihi-Mbarara then to Kampala. The Campfire Logs Guild is partnering with several persons or organizations in the Partner States to undertake the 3rd EAC Bicycle Tour.
The Secretary General of the East African Community, Liberat Mfumukeko has commended the organisers of this initiative led by Campfire Logs Guild of Uganda and said that the Tour d’EAC will go a long way to promote the EAC integration agenda.
“We have endorsed this event and written to the Permanent and Principal Secretaries in the Ministries responsible for EAC Affairs in the Partner States notifying and requesting them to support and assist the organizers to undertake this tour successfully in their respective territories,” said the Secretary General.
The aim of the Annual East African Bicycle Tour, is to promote the spirit of the East Africanness among the people of the region, promote tourism and business potential of the Community while enhancing the awareness of social and cultural peculiarities of people and places in the East African Community.
The ultimate goal of the initiative is to bring the citizens of East Africa to own the integration process. The East African Bicycle Tour is an expression of unity, oneness, togetherness and peace.
By riding through all the East African countries, the ties that bind East Africans together is renewed and strengthened. The event welcomes every East African from whatever part of the region to take part.