Kisumu County Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o has projected a robust lake transport following the government’s intention to extend the Standard Gauge Railways (SGR) from Nakuru to Kisumu.
The Governor highlighted that the announcement by Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen for the extension of SGR to the lakeside city will open up businesses in the region.
He stated that transport in Lake Victoria hinged on SGR and would pick up once the extension was completed.
“This is good news because the project will greatly improve transport services between Kisumu and Uganda besides supporting both ordinary travels and businesses,” he said.
Further, he said that the refurbished Kisumu Port will now be vibrant as trains will deliver goods for onward transmission to the neighboring countries.
Did you read this?
“The needed expansion of transport between the Lake Region and the rest of Kenya has awaited the arrival of the SGR for a long time. We hope all will be done to expedite this project,” he said.
Nyong’o stated that once completed, the GR will help spur economic growth in Western Kenya and open up the Western Kenya Tourism Circuit, which has many tourist destinations.
He said the government's announcement from CS Mukromen that it intended to complete 35 percent of the project by December of this year was encouraging.
The SGR was originally intended to connect Mombasa with Kisumu; however, insufficient finance caused the project, initiated by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, to halt near Nakuru.
Over the weekend, Murkomen was cited in a statement reaffirming the government's resolve to finish the extension as originally planned.
The Chinese government provided Kes 350 billion to fund the first phase of the SGR, which ran from Mombasa to Naivasha.
