The Rail To Nowhere That Divides Kenyans

By Clinton Ochieng

Since its inception eight years ago, the SGR has been like the red-line that divides the radicals of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government and its critics.

Some Kenyans are convinced that the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is a worthless project. Then there are those who insist that the building of the SGR is perhaps the best thing that ever happened to this country.

From allegations of an increase in the cost of construction to the mistreatment of local workers, the SGR has been serving Kenyans drama like a series.

Now, as the government prepares to take over the operation of the passenger and freight services from Afristar, which is owned by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), by 2022, there are fears that these ghosts will continue haunting Uhuru’s prized project.

Apparently, the 554 billion Shillings project is masked in controversy which can be concluded from reports that the administration of former President Mwai Kibaki thought the construction of the modern railway was not urgent, deferring it to 2030 when they could ‘think’ of building it.

But somehow, President Kenyatta’s administration revived it, rushing its appraisal in a move that saw the Court of Appeal mid-last year rule that procurement for the project was flawed.

According to an earlier study by the World Bank, for the SGR to recover its investments and impact the economy, it had to carry up to 55.2 million tonnes annually. But the government has insisted that this was a long-term investment.

That is why some critics have insisted that the SGR, which runs from the port city of Mombasa through Nairobi to Naivasha, is for China, with Kenya mostly left to shoulder the debt as it falls due.

READ: SGR Departure Time Pushed To 10 PM To Attract More Passengers