- All goods to be ferried using SGR
- Uganda opposed to move
The government is in the process of constructing a new railway line from the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Mai Mahiu to Longonot railway station to further ease cargo movement.
According to Transport CS James Macharia, once ready in twelve months, the meter-gauge-railway line will be used to collect cargo from the ICD in Naivasha for onward transportation to neighboring countries of Uganda and DRC.
This comes barely a day after the government stood its ground that all cargo destined for neighboring countries would be transported through Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
Macharia said that the future of cargo transportation in the region lies in railway as is fast, cost-effective, efficient, and safe.
“The government has set aside ShSh3.4 billion for the upgrading of the Longonot-Malaba meter-gauge railway line and this will ease the cost of ferrying goods,” he said.
Macharia at the same time said that the government had released Sh60B billion towards paying road contractors across the country in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic that has affected all sectors.
Already Sh30 billion has been paid to the contractors in the last two weeks while the balance will be released in the next fortnight so that ongoing road projects would be completed.
This comes at a time when the government has embarked on the process of repairing roads across the country that have been adversely affected the floods.
According to the CS, the government is keen to repair the damages caused by the floods across the country which saw some roads completely cut off.
He admitted that the pandemic had affected all sectors of the country and hence the move by the state to pay the contractors.
“The government last week paid Sh30 billion to the contractors and a similar amount will be released in the next two weeks and this will definitely trickle to the common mwananchi,” he said.
Speaking in Naivasha after supervising the ongoing works on Moi South Lake road, the CS said that the critical road would be completed by March 2021.
He said the 27km stretch is crucial to the economy of the country as it served tens of flower farms, hotels, and geothermal wells in the Olkaria area.
“Works on this road is at an advanced stage despite the delays and the government has allocated Sh410m towards its full repair,” he said.
On the Maraigushu-Njabini road, Macharia said that Sh1.7B had been allocated towards the project which had already kicked off.
“This road will link Nakuru and Nyandarua counties and it will ease the transportation of fresh produce to Nairobi and other major towns,” he said.