The June 2019 timeline for completion of the Nairobi-Naivasha Standard Gauge Railway will not be achieved, the contractor, China Communications Construction Company has said.
According to the contractor, compensation hurdles in some sections of the multi-billion project is making it hard to complete the second phase of the line on schedule.
CCCC Kenya spokesperson Steve Zhao said the affected the stretch lies between the Nairobi National Park and Embulbul in Ngong, Kajiado County.
“Before work was stopped in July 2018, the anticipated completion day was June 2019 and with the remaining section of work not being attended to, the launch date may be delayed,” he said.
Zhao, however, said 80 per cent of the mega infrastructure including roadbeds, culverts, bridges and station buildings had been completed despite the hiccups.
“We are, however, hopeful that once the issues are resolved and CCCC resumes work, we will be able to work hard as expected and deliver exemplary results as is our norm,” Zhao added.
The news comes days after unknown people broke into the offices of the National Land Commission and made away with data on compensation.
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The commission, however, assured that nothing will be compromised since the lost data had been backed up.
Zhao said CCCC was working closely with Kenya Railway Corporation (KRC) and the NLC to speed up the compensation of the affected landowners.
While addressing the press in Naivasha, Zhao said some notable milestones had been achieved this year despite the challenges, including drilling the longest railway tunnel in Kenya.
“The tunnel is 4.5km long and it is also the second longest railway tunnel in Africa and the construction of the tallest bridge at Duka Moja, Narok County, with its tallest pillar standing at a height of 46 meters,” he said.
According to him, a total of 13,482 Kenyans and 2,148 Chinese have been employed to work on the project this year alone.
He said the number had, however, dropped because of the delays in compensation.
“Only less than 6000 employees including 958 Chinese nationals are still actively engaged in the final phases of the project,” Zhao said.
The 120km line is the first of the three segments that make up the second phase of the SGR construction that is expected to terminate at Malaba border.
Phase 2A to Naivasha will pass through the five counties of Nairobi, Kajiado, Kiambu, Nakuru, Narok and will feature five newly-built stations at Ongata Rongai, Ngong, Mai Mahiu, Suswa and Nachu.
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