Kenyan President William Ruto officially inaugurated construction on a new meter-gauge light rail line on Friday. The 12.5-kilometer project will connect with existing lines to link the Nairobi neighborhoods of Riruta and Ngong.
It is being built by China Road and Bridge Corporation, under contract to Kenya Railways Corporation.
Jiao Xuxue, the deputy general manager of China Road and Bridge Corporation Kenya, said the project will take 12 months to build.
Once operational, it will have the capacity to transport 10,000 people per day, and the government has plans to expand it as part of its 165-km Nairobi Commuter Railway.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Little information has been released on how the project will be funded. So far, funding breakdowns haven’t shown up in the Kenyan press, nor is it listed in prominent loan databases. Considering the controversies around earlier Chinese rail projects in Kenya, these details will be notable.
SUGGESTED READING:
- Xinhua: Kenya Launches Construction of Commuter Rail to Ease Traffic Congestion in Capital City
- Presidency of the Republic of Kenya: Expanding Nairobi’s Rail Transport Will Ease Traffic Congestion
