Mt Kenya governors to revive Nanyuki railway line

Governors from the Mt. Kenya region have announced plans to rehabilitate the old Nanyuki railway line in a bid to facilitate trade in the region.

Speaking during a consultative meeting in Laikipia on Saturday Governor Ndiritu Muriithi of Laikipia, Patrick Gakuru of Nyeri, Ferdinand Waititu of Kiambu, Mwangi wa Iria of Kiambu and Anne Waiguru of Kirinyaga said that the plan is part of the blueprint that will tap the economic potential of their counties and foster economic growth in the region.

“We want to encourage all of us to take a different path and that path is of economic development and creating jobs,”  said Ndiritu Muriithi.

The plan that brings together the counties of Nairobi, Kiambu, Murang’a Nyeri and Laikipia will cost an estimated 25 billion shillings with each county expected to contribute 100 million shillings to the revival plan.

“You would require 25 billion shillings to get a few locomotives, new wagons and get the track upgraded in order to get heavier trains to be able to move and carry bigger loads,” said Atanas Maina, Managing Director, Kenya Railways

The plan is one of the many among them the Lapsset project which the counties plan to integrate with neighbouring counties including Nakuru and Isiolo.

“We are sitting in a region where the old railway transports more than 7.5 million people. When we connect the people of Isiolo and upper Eastern and Ethiopia, we are going to be connecting to a lot more and a lot of this country’s wealth lies in the North.” Said Patrick Gakuru, Nyeri Governor

The railway revival plan will also involve rehabilitating water sources as well as creating market linkages for products produced in the five counties.