Kenya approves extension of Standard Gauge Railway to western border
Xinhua, March 24, 2016 Adjust font size:
The Cabinet of Kenya on Wednesday approved the extension of a Standard Gauge Railway line under construction to the western border town of Malaba through the city of Kisumu.
The railway line was initially designed to run from the seaport of Mombasa to the capital Nairobi, but has previously been extended to Naivasha, a town near Nairobi.
China Exim Bank funds 90 percent of the first phase- from Mombasa to Nairobi with the remainder financed by the Kenyan government.
A subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company is carrying out the work.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta chaired the cabinet meeting over the rail extension.
Kisumu is Kenya's third largest city after Nairobi and Mombasa. It is located on the shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya. Malaba lies along the border with Uganda.
The 450 km Mombasa-Nairobi section will be completed next year.
The rail is expected to extend eventually to other East African countries. In Kenya, it will replace a narrow-gauge track built over a century ago during British colonial rule. Endit