Governor Nyong'o Praises Ruto for Securing Billions from China to Extend SGR to Kisumu: "Kudos"
- Governor Anyang' Nyongo' welcomed the closure of the deal Kenya signed with China to fund the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway
- President William Ruto secured billions for such infrastructural projects during his state visit to the Asian superpower
- Nyong'o said that with SGR reaching Kisumu and then the Malaba border, western Kenya will have business opening up, thus spurring economic growth in the region
Kisumu governor Anyang' Nyong'o has hailed President William Ruto for securing a multibillion shilling deal to fund the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway beyond Naivasha.
Source: Twitter
Ruto, who was in China for a state visit hosted by President Xi Jinping, signed several deals that would elevate, among others, the country's transport infrastructure.
Why Governor Nyong'o is happy with Ruto
Nyong'o lauded Ruto for securing the funding of the SGR extension to Kisumu and later to the Malaba border that will open up the rail system to Uganda.
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According to the governor, the extension will bolster business in Western Kenya as well as enhance tourism.
He noted that the SGR reaching Kisumu will catalyse operations at the port hence fully exploiting the potential it has.
"This is welcome news. On behalf of the people of Kisumu, I would like to sincerely thank HE President William Samoei Ruto, for successfully negotiating with the Chinese government the financing of the SGR from Nakuru, through Kisumu and connecting Kenya to Uganda through Malaba...Making it a reality at last is something we in the Lake Region need to applaud. Kudos, Mr. President. Once completed, the new SGR line will significantly improve the economy of Western Kenya, besides making the refurbished Kisumu Port more robust. It will improve tourism, passenger transport, trade and regional integration in East Africa," Nyong'o observed.
Kenya had been seeking hundreds of billions to extend the railway line; Ruto secured KSh 650 billion for the project.
Inside SGR deal Kenya signed with China
According to the agreement, the project will be funded jointly by the Chinese government and private entities through the Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) arrangement.
The extension of the SGR had stalled due to funding challenges.
The revenues emanating from it, which were supposed to service the loan it was built with, did not meet expectations.
The cost of constructing the line is believed to have been overpriced compared to similar projects in countries like Ethiopia and Tanzania.
With the agreement, China will construct the second phase of the line and run it for over two decades to recover the loan.
Source: Getty Images
According to the Kenyan government, the railway will feature 25 stations, with 15 set to be operational initially, while 10 will remain reserved for future use.
Also stipulated in the agreement were the provisions for 35 locomotives, 724 wagons, and 64 passenger coaches.
Besides the SGR, Ruto also secured funding for the expansion and dualing of the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit-Malaba Highway to link Nairobi to western Kenya.
The president also bagged a deal for the dualing of the Kiambu-North Bypass, the Eldoret Bypass, and the Nithi Bridge.
Why did Nyong'o attack Ruto?
Nyongo's praise of the president came days after he castigated him for allegedly sabotaging devolution.
The bone of contention was the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), which Ruto wanted to be left to the national government.
Nyong'o said such a move would jeopardise devolution and efforts by counties to decentralise power.
The county boss insisted on the devolved units handling the roads within their jurisdictions, further questioning the relevance of the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) when devolution was already in place.
He seemed to suggest that rural roads should be reserved for the country governments, as it is with health, which he said the county governments have outdone the national government in managing.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
