My ministry is focusing on designing, developing and maintaining a transport and infrastructure architecture that will facilitate sector growth.
Vision 2030 envisages a country with integrated and firmly interconnected transport infrastructure, consisting of roads, railways, airports, seaports and waterways. The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure is focusing on designing, developing and maintaining a transport and infrastructure architecture that will facilitate sector growth and accelerate national economic development. The mission of the ministry is to pursue world-class transportation systems for improved quality of life for the people of Kenya.
The Standard Gauge Railway under construction, financed by Government of Kenya and a loan from the Government of the Peoples Republic of China, is one of the development projects that is critical for accelerating the economic prosperity of the country and the region. SGR is one of the biggest projects ever to be implemented by the government since independence. It aims to simplify transport operations across the borders, reducing the cost of transportation hence the cost of doing business; significantly making the country and the region attractive to investment.
SGR is expected to link Mombasa Port, with its hinterland, through Nairobi, Kisumu and Malaba to Kampala, Kigali, and Juba. The Democratic Republic of Congo has expressed their interest in being part of SGR development. SGR will also provide improved passenger services both in terms of speed and comfort with the Mombasa to Nairobi journeys taking a mere four hours compared to 10 hours by the existing modes of land transport.
Already, construction of the Mombasa and Nairobi section (Phase 1 - 472 kilometres) is over 70 per cent complete, giving a strong indication that this phase will be ready for commissioning within schedule (June 1, 2017). West of Nairobi, the SGR project (Phase 2) will be developed in three sub-phases namely:
Phase 2A: Nairobi and Naivasha (120 kilometres)
Phase 2B: Naivasha-Kisumu through Narok, Bomet, Sondu and Ahero (262 kilometers) including a new high capacity port at Kisumu,
Phase 2C: Kisumu-Malaba through Yala and Mumias
Significantly, the contract that was executed by China Road and Bridge Corporation for phase one included supply and installation of communication, signals, locomotives for freight and passenger operations, passenger coaches and freight wagons. This procurement is at an advanced stage. This means that railway operations will commence immediately on completion of the construction works, generating revenue to cover operation costs as well repayment of development loans.
SGR will not be in direct competition with other modes of transport, but will supplement immensely existing transport capacity as demand grows within the country and the region, thus increasing the efficiency of the port and the Northern Corridor.
SGR will improve the efficiency of movement of freight and services thereby lowering the cost of doing business in the region, improving trade and attracting investments. In other words, easy access to markets and improved Foreign Direct Investment will facilitate greater exploitation of the region’s resources for the betterment of the lives of the people in the region.
Currently, an estimated 19,000 Kenyans are employed directly by the contractor and another 6,000 employed by sub-contractors on the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR, making SGR one of the biggest employers in Kenya outside Government.