President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday said he will ride on the Nairobi-Naivasha SGR on May 31 next year to Kajiado for Madaraka Day the next day.
President Uhuru challenged the contractor of the transformational Nairobi-Naivasha SGR line to stick to the June 2019 completion timeline.
The President was speaking at Kyang’ombe (DK2 Project Site) in Nairobi where he witnessed the installation of bridge girders across the Nairobi National Park which is a critical part of the ongoing extension of the SGR line.
The 120km stretch was launched in October 2016 and will traverse five counties namely Nairobi, Kajiado, Kiambu, Nakuru and Narok, and is expected to be complete by June next year.
Speaking at the event, Chen Yun, the Vice President of the Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the contractor, assured the President that he would do his best to meet the deadline.
“We look out to complete the Nairobi to Naivasha SGR by June 2019. We will also employ more residents of Kajiado and Narok counties where the rail is passing through,” said Yun.
The project, 49 per cent complete, is expected to cost Sh150 billion is co-financed by the Kenyan and Chinese governments.
Addressing the contentious issue of land compensation along the new railway corridor, Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said that mechanisms have been put in place where aggrieved citizens can seek legal redress without delaying the project.
“People can go to court to seek resolution of disputes around compensation but time-bound projects where delays cost heavy financial loses should be allowed to progress,” said the CS.
The SGR project is expected to open up Kenya’s hinterland for investments and trade as an enabler for President Kenyatta’s big 4 development agenda.