Despite the official launch of the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) extension a month ago, many Kenyans have been wondering why little visible construction has taken place along the route. Kenya Railways has now moved to explain the situation, insisting that the project is progressing as planned, albeit in its preliminary stages.
The state corporation says the teams currently deployed on the ground are carrying out pre-acquisition surveys and boundary-marking exercises, a process it describes as essential before large-scale construction can begin.
Although the KSh700 billion project officially kicked off on July 1, Kenya Railways maintains that the current activities are focused on preparing the corridor for smooth implementation while ensuring affected landowners are identified and compensated fairly.
According to the agency, boundary picking is one of the most critical phases of the project. This makes it easier to know the exact plots of land to be acquired, respects the rights of the property owners, and avoids possible conflicts over land that may hamper the construction process of the railway.
The firm explained that this activity is essential for proper mapping, for public involvement in the planning process, and to ensure that public funds are utilized properly as the preparations for this mega infrastructure project are underway.
This follows weeks of questions raised on social media by some Kenyans asking if construction has started.
One user challenged Kenya Railways after it announced that construction had commenced on July 1, asking what section of the railway had been built since the launch.
As a reaction, the corporation maintained that surveyors and technical personnel are carrying out activities on the process of acquiring the land, stating that the activity is part and parcel of what should be done before the entry of construction machinery on the site.
Others claimed that the agency staged the groundbreaking activity in that only a small portion of land was cleared before the officials, guests, and media left with nothing happening after them.
Nonetheless, Kenya Railways maintains that preparations have been going on for some months now. Before the groundbreaking activity, the corporation had carried out sensitization activities and inspected properties to be acquired compulsorily. This included the land near the proposed Kibos Terminus in Kisumu County.
Meanwhile, officials from the National Land Commission were conducting valuation activities of the gazetted lands in order to compensate them. The Managing Director of the Kenya Railways Philip Mainga led inspection tours on the proposed route.
The railway extension project has been commissioned by Chinese companies CCCC and CRBC under a KSh700 billion government contract.
Once complete, the railway will extend the SGR from Naivasha through Kisumu to Malaba, creating a vital transport link along the Northern Corridor. The government says the project will lower cargo transport costs, boost regional trade with neighbouring countries and create thousands of employment opportunities during its construction.
Even as concerns over the pace of the project persist, Kenya Railways maintains that the groundwork currently taking place is a necessary foundation before major construction works begin.
