Standard Gauge Railway heads to completion ahead of schedule

President Uhuru Kenyatta inspects the ongoing SGR railway project at Sultan Hamud in Makueni County yesterday. [PHOTO: PETERSON GITHAIGA/STANDARD]

President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday said the Government is in talks with investors to put up industrial parks along the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line, to create jobs for Kenyans.

“We have discussed how to set up industrial parks in Mombasa, Voi, Mtito Andei, Nairobi and Naivasha. This will help us create jobs for our young people,” he said, while inspecting the SGR.

More than 75 per cent civil works have been completed on the first phase of the Sh420 billion project, with over 235 km track-line laid between Voi and Sultan Hamud.

Within budget

The President visited Section 7 of the project in Sultan Hamud and was briefed on the progress that is said to be on schedule and running within budget.

The rail had by February injected Sh50 billion directly into the pockets of Kenyan suppliers following President Kenyatta’s directive that 40 per cent of supplies of goods and services to the SGR be local content, the President was told.

The project had also employed over 30,000 locals, fulfilling one of the major demands that jobs be handed to local communities during the construction of what is the biggest infrastructure investment in East and Central Africa.

Once the SGR project is complete, it will drastically reduce transport costs of goods from the port of Mombasa to Nairobi, projecting Kenya’s position as a business hub.

Major progress has been made on construction of 33 stations including 23 passing stations, eight intermediary stations and two major stations in Mombasa and Nairobi. The second phase of the project will cover 487 km from Nairobi-Kisumu-Malaba and it is divided into three sub-phases.

Financing has been identified and construction is expected to start in September this year. Phase 2B, which is 262 km will stretch from Naivasha-Narok-Bomet-Ahero-Kisumu while phase 2C will cover 107 km from Kisumu-Yala-Mumias-Malaba.

At the function, the Ministry of Transport signed an agreement with the China Road and Bridge Corporation for construction of the Nairobi Western Bypass.

Also present were Cabinet Secretaries James Macharia, Joseph Nkaissery and Kajiado Governor David ole Nkedienye among others.

Elsewhere, President Kenyatta launched the Last Mile Connectivity Project in Kiambu County where 18,290 households will be connected to electricity by June 2017.

The President toured Ndiguini village in Ndeiya, Kikuyu Constituency, to inspect implementation of the project. He also visited households that have just been supplied with electricity.

He presented the actual quotations the owners of the houses got from Kenya Power indicating that they have been charged only Sh15,000.

“Every Kenyan who needs electricity must be connected. The days when electricity was a preserve for the well to do is long gone,” said the president.

The President said the promise by the Government to raise electricity connection coverage to 70 per cent is well on target and will be achieved by 2017.

Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter said the President has given instructions that there should be no segregation in access to power.