This archive report was first published on 27 October 2019.
Published on October 27, 2019, by Otieno Otieno
The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) has been a contentious issue in Kenya, with many criticizing its high costs and the Chinese loan used to fund it. However, there are also several benefits to the project that are often overlooked.
One of the main concerns about the SGR is the huge Chinese loan taken to build it. The loan has saddled generations of Kenyans with a heavy debt, including the unborn. However, the SGR has also brought several benefits to the country, including the creation of jobs and the stimulation of economic growth.
One of the areas that is set to benefit from the SGR is the town of Suswa, which is located about 80km from Nairobi. The town has been transformed into a key energy infrastructural hub after the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) built a huge power substation there. The substation serves as an entry and exchange point for geothermal, wind, and hydro-generation into the national grid.
The SGR has also brought new opportunities to Suswa, with the town set to become a major hub for trade and commerce. The jealous Nairobi middle class folks who dismiss the railway to Suswa often overlook the sharp sense of ordinary Kenyan business people to spot new opportunities and the power of infrastructural projects like the SGR to shape new developments along the way.
As the country's major towns sprang up along the SGR's predecessor, which was also dismissed as The Lunatic Express, it is likely that Suswa will follow a similar path. The town is already seeing the development of new businesses and infrastructure, including a Loliondo-type bus terminus for matatus and a real estate agency advertising one-eighth-acre plots on sale.
