This archive report was first published on 15 December 2019.
On Tuesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta will commission the Naivasha Inland Container Depot (ICD), a facility that will serve cargo going west of Nairobi and is part of the government's infrastructure plan.
Transport Principal Secretary Esther Koimett said the government will create an environment that encourages cargo owners to use the Naivasha ICD, rather than forcing them to use the SGR.
Ms Koimett made the assurance in response to a customs official from Uganda who had complained about lack of information on the impending launch of the freight service from Nairobi to Naivasha.
She said the government's intention is to make the Naivasha ICD attractive enough for customers to choose to use it.
President Kenyatta will be accompanied by a special envoy of the President of China, as well as the chairman of China Road and Bridge Corporation and contractors of the railway line, at the commissioning of the freight service.
Also to be unveiled on Tuesday will be a 1,000-acre industrial park, which the government hopes will attract enough industries to produce sufficient goods that can then be transported on the new railway line.
The SGR is ultimately a regional project, with the government planning to connect it to the metre gauge and give seamless connectivity to the west of the area and into regional markets.
Acting Kenya Railways Managing Director Phillip Mainga said they will charge Sh60,600 for a 20-feet container and Sh80,800 for a 40-feet container.
He said operation of the railway will kick off immediately after the commissioning of the service.
Mr Mainga also noted that transit cargo is actually cleared, so it doesn't require further clearance.
However, it appears that the line from Naivasha to Kisumu and Malaba will not be SGR, with the government in talks with a private investor to rehabilitate the metre-gauge along these sections.
