This archive report was first published on 19 July 2020.
Kenya Railways has embarked on a major upgrade of the old railway line running from Nairobi to Kisumu, a project that is expected to boost cargo transportation in the region.
According to the Kenya Railways managing director, Philip Mainga, the upgrade will be carried out by Kenya Railway engineers and National Youth Service, a move that seeks to cut the cost of upgrading. The project will be funded solely from internal resources, Mainga stated.
The 216 km line will connect to the recently refurbished KSh3 billion Kisumu port, enabling seamless cargo movements to neighboring countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo via Lake Victoria.
Uganda is also planning to refurbish its old rail network to boost bulk cargo transportation, after failing to secure $2.2 billion in Chinese funding for a new Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line. Kenya had initially planned to extend the SGR to Kisumu and later to the Ugandan border, but dropped the plan after failing to secure a multi-billion shilling loan from China.
Published on July 19, 2020.
