President Uhuru Kenyatta today inspected the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) tunnel at Em-Bulbul and expressed satisfaction with the progress of the project.
The Em-Bulbul SGR tunnel in Kajiado County covers 4.5 km and is the first of the three sections of the 7.14 km SGR tunnel – the second longest railway tunnel in Africa. The other two sections of the tunnel cover 1 km and 1.64 km stretches respectively.
The railway tunnel is part of phase 2A of the SGR project that takes the modern railway line from Nairobi to Naivasha and onwards to Narok.
Later Uhuru chaired an inter-ministerial quarterly meeting at the Em-Bulbul site which was attended by, among others, Transport CS James Macharia, while the Chinese delegation was led by China Communication Construction Company (CCCC) Vice President Chen Yun and Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Li Xuhang.
Uhuru thanked the team for its commitment and asked them to ensure that the railway line reaches Naivasha by June 2019.
The President also urged CCCC, working in collaboration with the Infrastructure ministry, to ensure that all components of the SGR, which include the establishment of economic zones and industrial parks, are completed on the set timeline.
“All components of the phase 2A of SGR should be completed by June 2019 so that they can be launched together with the railway line on the same day,” Uhuru said.
Briefing the President on the progress, Macharia said 25 per cent of the tunnel is complete and assured that the project will be completed on time.
Chen thanked Uhuru and the government of Kenya for supporting the company in its efforts to complete the project on time and within budget.
Addressing Em-Bulbul residents after the meeting, Uhuru assured that the SGR project will open up the area and attract investors who will create employment for the locals.
Benefits of the SGR include provision of fast, efficient and reliable mode of transport that will decongest the port of Mombasa by ensuring goods are moved without delays.
SGR is also expected to reduce the cost of transporting cargo upcountry.
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