Kenya will spend 39 million dollars to extend its standard gauge railway line across the border into Tanzania
Kenya intends to take its Standard Gauge Railway line across the border into Tanzania.
The President of Kenya, William Ruto has revealed that his administration plans to extend the country’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line into their southern neighbor’s territory.
This, according to President Ruto, is being undertaken in their bid to boost economic activities between the two East African countries.
The Kenyan Head of State was speaking during a church service held at Mwatate, in the Taita Taveta county.
As far as Ruto is concerned, his government has even set aside at least 5 billion/- Kenyan shillings, equivalent to USD 39 million, for the planned SGR rail extension to Tanzania.
“We are now extending SGR from Naivasha to Kisumu and to the Malaba border,” he pointed out.
“But as we extend that, it is also important to link Voi and Tanzania,” Ruto maintained.
“We’ve already set aside around 5 billion Kenyan shillings for that project,” the Kenyan leader added.
He added that the project will include SGR stations in Mwatate, Bura, Mwakitau and Taveta, before extending into Holili on the Tanzanian side of the border.
Once the project materializes, residents of Moshi, at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, will now be able to travel to Nairobi and Mombasa by high-speed train.
“You will be able to drop passengers here and carry cargo. Other places are being developed, so don’t listen to those saying Taita Taveta should not be developed,” Ruto added.
The president said this is part of the plan to link Kenya to the other East African countries, especially Tanzania and Uganda.
So far, both Kenya and Tanzania have plans to connect their standard gauge railway (SGR) networks through Uganda to the other East African countries like Rwanda and Burundi.
Kenya is already working to extend the country’s Standard Gauge to the Malaba border through Kisumu City.
The Jubilee administration, where Ruto served as deputy president, built the SGR line from Mombasa to Naivasha through Nairobi.
During the announcement, Ruto also promised to give title deeds to residents of Taita Taveta in the coming week, and initiate more development projects in the area.
The Kenya Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is being described as a partially finished railway system connecting the country’s cities.
The first section, measuring 609 kilometres (378 miles), links the Port of Mombasa along the Indian Ocean Coastline with Nairobi City.
Once completed, it is supposed to link Kenya to Uganda, and all the way to South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.
There are also plans to link to Addis Ababa, in neighbouring Ethiopia to the north.
The first segment, between Mombasa and Nairobi, opened passenger rail service in June 2017, and freight rail service in January 2018. Other segments are under construction or planned.
Tanzania, on the other hand has its first Standard Gauge Railway line section connecting Dar-es-salaam Port with Dodoma City via Morogoro, with plans to stretch the SGR to Mwanza, Kigoma and eventually Burundi and DR Congo.
Dodoma is therefore building an envisaged 2,800 kilometres Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) at an estimated cost of USD 7 billion.
It is deploying electric locomotives capable of speeds up to 160 kilometres per hour to connect the Port of Dar es Salaam with the interior and neighbouring landlocked economies.