Posted on :Friday , 7th August 2020

Kenya's national government is expected to begin reconstruction of the old / metre-gauge railway line from Nakuru to Kisumu this month through national railway cooperation (Kenya Railways Corporation).

It is according to Philip Mainga, the managing director of Kenya Railways. Mr. Mainga said the project would be carried out within 8-12 months by Kenya Railway Engineers, National Youth Service Women and  

local youth. Originally, Kenya intended to hire China's foreign labor on the basis of a bilateral cooperation agreement with the Asian nation but, according to the managing director of Kenya Railways, the  

current proposal would substantially reduce the project costs.

The restoration of the more than 100-year-old track that has not been used for the last two decades comes after the Kenyan government scrapped its attempt to expand the standard gauge railway (SGR) to  

Kisumu and later to the Ugandan border, following the failure of the East African country to secure China's multi-billion shilling loan, which financed the first and second phases of the project. The first phase  

from Mombasa to Nairobi City started operations about three years ago, while last year the second phase from Nairobi to Naivasha was completed in August.

The ultimate 216 km Nakuru to Kisumu railway line, whose funds will come from internal capital, will link to the recently refurbished Kisumu port to allow passengers and goods such as fertilizer, cement, rice,  

edible oil and spare parts etc. to be ferried on ships via Lake Victoria to the neighboring Republics of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Lake will be a critical  

transportation corridor for general cargo shipments to and from the East African region.