Saidia baba
Kenya turns to South Africa in new railway deal
theeastafrican.co.ke
Nov 25, 2021 9:57 AM
Kenya has turned to South Africa to revamp its old railway network, as it seeks solutions within the continent to revamp its railroad networks.
During a three-day state visit to Pretoria, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta invited South African state-owned engineering company to revamp and upgrade its railway system.
President Kenyatta is seeking solutions within the continent to improve its railway system countrywide after Kenya failed to sign an agreement with a French company in July this year to fund a light rail from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Nairobi’s city centre.
During President Kenyatta’s visit in Paris in July, Kenya failed to ink $144 million financial deal to fund the infrastructure plan.
Kenyan Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia told The EastAfrican that the French trip did not lead to the signing of the deal that was meant to fund the construction of the five-kilometre metre-gauge line linking the airport to the standard gauge rail (SGR) terminus in Syokimau.
Earlier agreements had provided for the signing of the loan pact by June 30 this year when President Kenyatta was in France.
The deferring of signing means that the rail project, whose construction was initially set for August this year following a deal agreed between French President Emanuel Macron and his Kenyan counterpart in March 2019, faces further delays.
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