Uhuru to Launch SGR Phase 2 After It Undergoes Completion

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to launch the second phase of the Standard Gauge railway (SGR) following its completion.

According to the Naivasha sub-county commissioner Mbogo Mathioya, the president will grace the official launching occasion and open all the stations along the Nairobi- Naivasha route.

“The SGR extension to Naivasha is now complete and on Wednesday, the Head of State will officially launch it by opening all the stations along the route,” said Mathioya.

“The President will also use the occasion to launch the Inland Container Depot which will be located around the 1,000 acres gazetted for the industrial park,” he said.

The second phase of the SGR project runs from Nairobi to Suswa and has covered a distance of 120.49 kilometers.

Phase 2A of the project took effect in 2017 and has passed through the following routes; Nairobi, Kajiado, Nakuru, Narok, Ongata Rongai, Ngong, Mai Mahiu and Suswa.

There are four Passenger Stations in Nairobi and Narok, Kajiado and Nakuru with an inter-change at the Nachu station.

The Completion of phase 2A initially faced some challenges forcing the contractor to delay for a period of about five months.

1,810 People whose land had been covered by the SGR project had demanded prior compensation which affected the completion of the project.

The 35-kilometer-stretch between Embul Bul (Ngong) and the Nairobi National Park had been the most affected but the Government said it was well dealt with.

The National Lands Commission has been in charge of the compensations of those whose land had been covered and has spent 17.6 billion shillings of compensations.

Since the Phase 2A is completed, the main focus will now be on the second phase that has had issues as the Government failed to secure funds for its construction.

Phase 2B was projected to run from Duka Moja to Kisumu and was to cost about 368 billion shillings.

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