Leaders welcome extension of SGR to Nakuru County

NAKURU, KENYA: Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua has welcomed the move to extend the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to Naivasha from Nairobi. While hailing the move, Mbugua said the railway will expand trade opportunities for residents and Kenyans while easing transport of essential goods.

The Governor said the construction will also boost investor confidence noting that those willing to invest in the area would have an added advantage. Mbugua said the railway will coincide with the planned construction of Industrial Park in the lake side town.

"We thank the President for his wise decision and we promise him that we will do everything possible to utilize the opportunities that come with the railway," Mbugua said yesterday after touring various development projects in Naivasha town and its environs.

"We have already identified land for an industrial park around Naivasha and the new railway line will come in handy especially for investors eager to work in the park," he said.

On its part, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) also welcomed the move saying it would create thousands of jobs to the locals. KNCCI Nakuru Chapter chairman Kamau Njuguna praised SGR saying that it would now be easier to sell the county as a haven for investments in the country. Njuguna pointed at the ongoing geothermal exploration and other resources in the area that would lure investors to the town with an assurance that their goods will reach the market on time.

"These investors can count on Nakuru County that the goods they manufacture here will always make it in time to the market due to the SGR," he said.

The chairman who accompanied the governor said they were speaking to investors from Nigeria and South Africa while a Chinese firm has already indicated its willingness to start up a textile industry. "Close to 35,000 jobs would be created by the Chinese firm alone while the Nigerians and South Africans have interests in Hospitality and real Estate sectors respectively," he said.