Kenya’s Ambassador to China, Willy Bett, has emphasized the numerous benefits that Kenya has derived from the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), a project that was funded and constructed with the assistance of the People’s Republic of China.
The ambassador asserts that since its completion in 2017, the SGR has brought about a substantial transformation in Kenya’s transportation sector. He says it has not only improved transport efficiency but also reduced freight costs and facilitated trade, thus becoming an integral driver of Kenya’s economic growth.
“Definitely the SRG is of great significance. That railway came after many years of running an old railway system which was so uneconomical and inefficient,” he said
“The Standard Gauge Railway came at a time when transportation, especially of cargo, was of great importance and was going to spur connectivity, economic activity, and help facilitate transportation from the coastal area to the hinterland, and also move goods,” Bett remarked
The envoy, appointed to the position six months ago, emphasized that the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) has enhanced logistics for Kenya’s agricultural products.
“Kenya being a very agricultural country and exports most of its agricultural products, was going to play a major role in moving the agricultural products exporting for export to the port of Mombasa which is at the coast,” he said during a media roundtable organized by CGTN in Beijing.
He reiterated that the project is of great importance and its benefits are visible to everyone, citing a significant increase in the amount of cargo moved since the introduction of the SGR. He also mentioned the efficiency of handling cargo and passenger transport.
In addition, he pointed out that traveling by SGR is extremely pleasant, as it passes through a National Park. Passengers have the opportunity to watch wildlife for free, only needing to pay for a train ticket.
Due to its socio-economic significance, the Kenyan Ambassador to China expressed Kenya’s eagerness to extend the railway line to the hinterland of East Africa. The goal is to connect the East African coast to the Atlantic, a vision that, if realized, would benefit not only Kenya but also Africa, specifically the Eastern part of Africa.
“SGR is really generating a lot of benefits for the country and for the neighboring countries because the railway line is equally serving Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, and DRC. Most of the goods which were taking, say a week, to move to a neighboring country are taking relatively a short time,” he remarked
He also pointed out that the SGR has relieved the strain on Kenya’s road network. According to him, roads suffered additional wear and tear because cargo transportation was initially mainly done through roads. This resulted in more damage and consequently higher funds being allocated to road repairs.
“There is less expenditure now on repair and reconstruction of roads,” he told the roundtable, stating that road carnage has also reduced.
“When there is a lot of movement of trucks in any road network, accidents are bound to happen and we have seen a significant reduction of accidents since most of the cargo now is through the railway and there is less cargo now moving on our roads,”
He says the benefits of the SGR are countless while expressing gratitude for the partnership between Kenya and China that brought about the railway network. The ambassador insists that these benefits extend beyond the railway itself, as it has led to the employment of many Kenyans.
“I believe anybody would be very proud of such a piece of infrastructure. For 100 years there had never been an extra development of railway. The one that existed was built by the colonial powers long ago. Then comes this new infrastructure which is far much better than what existed and which has come with so many benefits,” he said
