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Title: Kenyans laud plan to build standard gauge railway line
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Published: Nov 29, 2013
Author: Bedah Mengo
Post Date: 2013-11-29 21:37:24 by Tatarewicz
Keywords: None
Views: 84
Comments: 5
NAIROBI, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The launch of the plan to build 14. 1 billion U. S. dollars Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya has won praise among Kenyans, both on the streets and cyberspace. The railway that will run from Mombasa, at the Kenyan Coast, through Nairobi, the capital, to Malaba on the Kenya-Uganda border, is expected to radically transform the transport sector in East African nation. Kenyans have lauded the project that was launched Thursday by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto as a step towards the realization of the country's economic blue-print Vision 2030. "From the pictures I have seen and the analyses I have read, this is a bold economic step. Kenya will soon join the league of countries with modern train services," accountant Martin Muhemi said Thursday. Muhemi said the project, a partnership between the Kenyan government and the China Exim Bank, ends the ridicule that the country attracted from the fact that it had not added a single km on the railway line built by Britons in 18th century. "Kenya's current railway line and train services are not worth talking about. They are so dilapidated and neglected that people have forgotten if they exist," he said. The poor state of the railway, according to Muhemi, saw passengers abandon train services and efforts to revive them have not borne fruit. "The only running passenger train service is in Nairobi, but the rest died. The government has tried to revive others with little success. Majority of Kenyans it is obvious have given up on train services," he said. But with the launch of construction of the standard gauge railway, Muhemi assures that Kenyans will troop back to using train. Government officials have said the new line, which is expected to be completed in 2016, will revolutionize passenger and cargo transportation. Once completed, it is noted that a passenger train will take four hours to travel between Nairobi and Mombasa, and passengers will pay 9.4 dollars as fare. Currently, Kenyans pay 19 dollars to travel from Nairobi to Mombasa by bus, a journey that takes up to eight hours. On the other hand, it is said the cost of transporting cargo will go down 60 per cent. "This railway line is definitely part of what Kenya needs to boost her economy and even cut deaths on the road," said economic lecturer Henry Wandera. "The railway line runs from Mombasa, through Nairobi to western Kenya. This is a major route for thousands of travellers. With better railway services, passengers will opt to use trains thus reducing congestion on roads and certainly accidents," he added. Wandera observed the over 2,900 km railway line will further boost economic integration between Kenya and her neighbors."The fact that the railway line will connect Kenya to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi means more movement of goods and people among the countries. This will be good for economic and social integration." A majority of Kenyans have never boarded a train, thus many believe construction of the new railway line will give them a chance to use passenger train services. "I have never boarded a train in my 26 years of existence. The closest I have come to a train is during my geography lesson in high school where we visited the Kisumu station and saw the dilapidated wagons. The new railway line gives me hope," wrote Valerie Asito on Facebook as Kenyans debated about the railway line. Kenya has a railway that runs from Mombasa to Jinja Uganda. But years of neglect has made the railway line unable to serve citizens of the two nations to capacity. While cargo is transported on the railway line, there are no passenger train services, which makes travellers rely on bus transport that takes hours. It takes up to 18 hours to travel from Mombasa, Kenya to Kampala, Uganda's capital.Abdi Safari, on the other hand, saw the benefits of the railway line transcending beyond economic. "I pray this project runs smoothly and ends as planned. I see reduced HIV/Aids infections particularly in areas along major highways where truck drivers make stops like Mlolongo in Nairobi and Salgaa in Nakuru because there will be reduced number of the heavy commercial vehicles on road. This railway line is a revolution this country has been waiting for," he wrote. "This certainly will be an economic game-changer for Kenya. It will transform transportation of people and goods in the region. It is the good thing Kenya has been missing. It is fantastic! Great infrastructural project; another Thika superhighway," noted Xavier Muoko. "This railway line shows that we should continue working with the Chinese. We have been in partnership with the West for years, yet all we have been doing is politic, but in a very short span, China has shown us what we should do if we are to be industrialized. Good work President Kenyatta," wrote Beryl Anaswa. Acting Director General of Vision 2030 Secretariat Wainaina Gituro notes that Kenyans will save a great deal when work on the railway line ends. "Kenyans will enjoy substantial cost savings in the next three to five years when construction the standard gauge railway, a Vision 2030 project, ends. The project will improve the economy as it will cut transportation costs," Gituro said. The railway line is expected to cement Kenya's position as a regional gateway and transport hub. Poster Comment: We have been in partnership with the West for years, yet all we have been doing is politic, but in a very short span, China has shown us what we should do if we are to be industrialized. You'd think America's "Kenyan" would have taken such an inititive to build goodwill in Africa but no, bombing Israel's enemies takes priority.
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#1. To: Tatarewicz (#0)
What could possibly go wrong here?
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
((snickering)) I thought that Kenya would have reached the moon by now since the Evil White Man had been banished from their fair African savannahs.......
#2. To: Tatarewicz (#0)
it had not added a single km on the railway line built by Britons in 18th century. "Kenya's current railway line and train services are not worth talking about. They are so dilapidated and neglected that people have forgotten if they exist," he said.
>
-Alex Kurtagic
#3. To: Lod (#1)
They need to forget that train $#it and get these Somalis to build them a helicopter each. As you say, what could go wrong?
Americans who have no experience with, or knowledge of, tyranny believe that only terrorists will experience the unchecked power of the state. They will believe this until it happens to them, or their children, or their friends.
Paul Craig Roberts
#4. To: All (#3)
Funny comment about this I just now found. Unitedeurope1 1 year ago Who knows, maybe this will prove to be a great technological leap in the muslim business of beheading? Maybe Al-Shabaab will be interested in financing the further development of the automatic beheader?
Americans who have no experience with, or knowledge of, tyranny believe that only terrorists will experience the unchecked power of the state. They will believe this until it happens to them, or their children, or their friends.
Paul Craig Roberts
#5. To: Lod (#1)
Depends if Chinese continue to operate trains and if they can train Africans to operate them, at least maybe the next generation.
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