Kenya launched freight operations on December 17 for a new extension on a multibillion-dollar, China-built railway line, which is funded on terms that could end up giving China control over some of Kenya’s most important assets.
At the inauguration ceremony, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta called the opening a “new chapter” in Kenya’s development. “Today is another momentous day; a day when we add yet another brick in our quest to build a stronger foundation for our current and future prosperity.”
The new service runs from Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to the Naivasha Inland Container Depot and is part of the greater Standard Gauge Railway (sgr), connecting Nairobi to Mombasa, Kenya—the largest and most valuable port in East Africa. Mombasa is not just the gateway into Kenya, but also into its landlocked neighboring nations Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda. Read More…
