If there is one part of Kenya that needs the SGR like yesterday is the South Nyanza bit. The current one that is being built will go all the way to Ikonge, opening up Nyamira to the 21st century.
Good stuff. Ideally, we needed one that would go all the way to Isebania, and one that runs all the way to Busia.
These regions have one of the highest numbers of people who travel to and from Nairobi. Goods and services too. Food especially. South Nyanza is one are whose Agricultural potential has not even been explored.
Imagine an Express fast train bringing managu, groundnuts, kwanza that fresh-off-the-mill pea nut butter from Awendo…man. Yes, our friends in Eldoret are busy in the farms, they are never traveling, ukweli na usemwe. Other than Eldoret express which other travel company operates that route? besides People in Eldoret can catch the train in Malava/Busia with the opening up of roads linking Eldoret to Kakamega its just an hour away just like people in Kilifi, Kwale, Kinango, Malindi come to board SGR in Mombasa. Malava station will not be very far away and once Rift Valley cartels stop looting from their people then they can request Malava-Eldoret extension connecting via Lugali in Kakamega and thus closing the Western Kenya circuit!
In fact the current SGR to the Coast should have been built to the Western part of Kenya.
Let’s get it right. Those in NASA were never opposed to the SGR. The objection was about the pricing. Getting a single track, old school train for Sh 350 billion is sick. That was the bone of contention. Ethiopia and Morocco built better and longer railway line for half the price.
So, if through Raila, we end up getting a train service to Narok, Bomet, Nyamira, Homabay, Kisumu, Busia/Malava that we support. So that when we are paying a debt, we equally feel the burden of an overpriced locomotive. Did you know that Uhuru was forced by Mt Kenya leaders to approve building a dual carriage way through Meru,Kirinyaga, Nyeri to Muranga- crossing the villages with no immediate value!
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