By Clinton Odongo
Kenyans will soon be able to travel from Mombasa to Malaba via Kisumu using the Standard Gauge Railway(SGR). This comes after the refurbishment of the old meter line which will come to an end in September.
The construction of the new link between Mai Mahiu to Longonot will cost 5 billion shillings while the rehabilitation of old rail tracks from Longonot to Malaba will cost 2.5 billion shillings. Kenya Railways says that some 2.5 billion shillings will be used to compensate landowners who will be relocated during the construction of the Railway line.
Construction of the new 23.5-kilometer link line from Naivasha to Longonot started in August 2020 while rehabilitation of the Longonot to Malaba meter-gauge railway line started in October.
Uganda is also working on the reconstruction of the meter gauge line from Malaba to Kampala with funding from the European Union. The upgrades of the two lines, Malaba-Kampala and Tororo-Gulu, will cost Uganda some Sh18 billion. Kenya had already offered to give Uganda land to construct an inland depot in Naivasha.
Kenya will clear goods imported through the Port of Mombasa and headed to western Kenya and neighboring Uganda, the Democratic Republic Congo, and South Sudan through the Naivasha dry port. This will cut down the cost of traveling using Public service vehicles which mostly increase the fare during holidays and the opening of schools.
About the author
Clinton Odongo is a journalist with a nose for news that cuts across socioeconomic issues.