Railway on course, say ministers

The overpass pillars for the Standard Gauge Railway at Mtito Andei in this picture taken on May 2, 2015 when the joint committee for the project comprising of the South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya toured the facility. LABAN WALLOGA |

By  Gitonga Marete  &  NGARE KARIUKI

What you need to know:

  • Speaking after inspecting the project from Mombasa port to Mtito Andei, the ministers said despite initial challenges, the progress so far was “impressive”.
  • The team also visited the site of a 2.1 kilometre overpass at the Tsavo River in the expansive Tsavo National Park and the 500-metre trial section at Mtito Andei.
  • Kenya’s acting Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said so far, 86 per cent of the project land, which is 406 kilometres of the 472 kilometres of the first phase between Mombasa and Nairobi, had been handed over to the contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).
  • Another major milestone has been the setting up of two factories at Kathekani (close to Mtito Andei) and Emali.

The joint ministerial committee on the Northern Corridor Integrated Projects has expressed satisfaction with the progress of the ongoing construction of the standard gauge railway.

Speaking after inspecting the project from Mombasa port to Mtito Andei, the ministers said despite initial challenges, the progress so far was “impressive”.

“What started as a dream is becoming a reality. The leadership of the summit, which comprises presidents of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan tasked us with the responsibility of inspecting the project. I see we have something to report during the next meeting in June,” said committee chairman John Byabagambi, who is also the Ugandan minister for Works and Transport.

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Kenya’s acting Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said so far, 86 per cent of the project land, which is 406 kilometres of the 472 kilometres of the first phase between Mombasa and Nairobi, had been handed over to the contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).

“The contractor has mobilised over 150 teams working across the entire section to ensure the project implementation is on schedule,” said Mr Macharia.

OVERPASS

The team also visited the site of a 2.1 kilometre overpass at the Tsavo River in the expansive Tsavo National Park and the 500-metre trial section at Mtito Andei.
This came as the contractor said it had attained significant progress, only four months into the project whose completion deadline is 2017.

By last week, the firm said, it had cleared 385 kilometres of the SGR corridor out of 472 kilometres of the entire SGR line between Mombasa and Nairobi.
A further 443 kilometres of access roads that will facilitate construction of the railway line have been built.

CRBC has also built 40.24 kilometres of railway subgrade — the foundation on which the track will be laid — while the construction of supporting structures such as bridges and wildlife passageways have started.

Another major milestone has been the setting up of two factories at Kathekani (close to Mtito Andei) and Emali.

The factories have so far produced 105,250 sleepers and 148 T-beams for the railway’s construction.

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