Kenya’s infrastructural transformation: The standard gauge railway is one of the biggest infrastructural projects that President Uhuru Kenyatta will be remembered for.
It is under his administration that Kenya negotiated for the funding of the project, which involved the Chinese government funding 90 percent of the project with Kenya availing the remaining funds, which were from the railway development fund kitty that saw imports attract a 1.5 percent levy.
Construction of the first phase of the project between Mombasa and Nairobi started in December 2014 and was completed in 2017, with President Kenyatta officially commissioning the passenger service dubbed Madaraka Express in May 2017.
The construction of the railway opened up new areas to investment with eight railway stations comprising Mariakani, Voi, Mtito Andei, Sultan Hamud, Athi River, Emali, Miasenyi and Kibwezi that highlighted the different cultures of the inhabitants.
Over time the passenger line – Madaraka Express has remained popular among commuters such that most times the trains are fully booked, despite increasing the frequency from one to three trips daily in either direction between Nairobi and Naivasha.
Phase two-A of the Standard Gauge Railway project involved extension of the railway from Nairobi to Naivasha. Latest data shows that 2 million passengers were ferried via the Madaraka Express service last year.
Cargo services on the standard gauge railway were officially commissioned in June 2017 and volumes have grown to 5.4 million tons of cargo hauled on the SGR, last year. Its operationalization also saw two inland container depots set up in Embakasi and Naivasha, to reduce congestion at the Port of Mombasa and fast track cargo clearance.
In addition, President Kenyatta’s government would be remembered for the rehabilitation of the old meter-gauge railway. The Nairobi commuter service line was commissioned to help ease traffic congestion, while the Nairobi-Nanyuki eased cargo transportation and movement of people especially tourists visiting tourist sites in central Kenya. Rehabilitation of the Naivasha-Kisumu meter-gauge railway was also done and started service late last year, much to the excitement of those traveling to the lakeside city.
Kenya’s second commercial port in Lamu is another project that President Kenyatta will be remembered for. The project aims at positioning Lamu Port as the regional transshipment hub. The government is constructing the first three berths, the first of which was commissioned by President Kenyatta last year and has so far seen several large vessels calling on the facility.
Each of the berths at Lamu Port is designed to have a depth of 17.5 meters and a length of 400 meters. The commissioning of Lamu Port is expected to open up the area to investment and development.
Several road projects have been undertaken in recent years, but the Expressway in Nairobi stands out. The project that was opened for use to the public in May 2022 is expected to reduce the time taken to travel between the 27-kilometer stretch between Mlolongo and Westlands by motorists who will pay for use of the road.
Other projects done under President Kenyatta’s administration include the Dongo Kundu bypass at the coast offering an alternative route to Likoni Ferry for those traveling between Mombasa Island and the South Coast.
The six-lane Mombasa-Kwa Jomvu dual carriageway that includes interchanges at Changamwe, Mikindani and Kwa Jomvu, the new Kipevu Oil Terminal, rehabilitation of the old port of Kisumu and the dual carriageway Kenol-Sagana-Marua road are among the other key infrastructural projects done by President Kenyatta’s administration.