The Kenya Railways Corporation is clearing land to rehabilitate the metre-gauge railway line from Eldoret to Malaba on the Kenya-Uganda border.
It's part of the line to be built between Naivasha and Malaba after China refused to fund the standard gauge railway to Malaba. Another line will conntect the SGR to the border.
Speaking in Eldoret on Tuesday, railways chairman Major (Rtd) Pastor Awiti warned those who have encroached on the parastal land to vacate before the project begins. He spoke during an inspection in which he was joined by Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago.
Awiti said they will hire unemployed youths to flatten houses and businesses contstructed on the railways land. Some people have planted maize and are doing dairy and poultry business.
“It is unfortunate people have encroached on the railways land where we intend to rehabilitate the railway network to ease transportation of goods and services,” Awiti said.
The chairman asked residents who had planted maize on the land to harvest it swiftly, otherwise it "will be slashed down".
Awiti said the clearance would pave way for speedy rehabilitation of the old Eldoret-Malabe line that has been unused for more than three decades.
Awiti said the project will be implemented by the Kenya Railways engineers, the National Youth Service and local youths and women. Construction will take seven to eight months.
Mandago said the project will create jobs and revive once-vibrant trading centres from Eldoret and Webuye all the way to the Busia border.
"We hope the revival will create jobs for our youths yearning for revival of the line that collapsed decades ago due to mismanagement," Mandago said.
(Edited by V. Graham)
