KISUMU – The old railway line linking Nakuru and Kisumu towns is being refurbished and this will come with many benefits to Nyanza and Rift-Valley regions.
The railway line is set to officially begin operations in November, after a facelift led by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the National Youth Service (NYS) in a programme that began in August 2020.
NYS was to clear bushes along the old line while KDF carried out the rehabilitation process in a collaboration with Kenya Railway Corporation.
The line lay neglected for over 25 years and will eventually be linked to Nairobi with the completion set accelerate economic growth to the two regions.
The rehabilitation of the 217 kilometer railway was done at a cost of Ksh3.7 billion will see Kibos, Koru, Miwani, Fort Tenan and Muhoroni bounce back to life upon resumption of full operations.
This will follow the rehabilitation of 18 stations situated along the century old line that will turn into commercial hubs in the region.
With the introduction of passenger trains by the end of the year, locals will have an alternative mode of transport from Kisumu to Nairobi, which currently is mostly by road.
This will also see the resumption of trade between Kenya and her neighbours after the government also spent close to Ksh3 billion to revive the Kisumu port.
Upon competition and in full operation, the government is set to save millions lost on road repairs damaged by heavy road cargo trailers.
Transportation of cargo from Mombasa to Kisumu will also be efficient as it will be done directly without being offloaded anywhere.
Currently, transporters who use road trailers incur millions in losses due to various factors including, delay due to stalling, cargo loss and also theft.
The tourism sector in the region is also another major beneficiary of the refurbished line where tourists will be treated to scenic views along the way to their various destinations in the region.
And with Agriculture a major source of income in both Rift-Valley and Nyanza, farmers will now have an option of a more reliable railway transport able to handle goods in bulk at a go.
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