Rail link connecting geothermal area at Naivasha with Nairobi completed
Trains of the SGR railway in Kenya (source: KRC)
Alexander Richter
17 Oct 2019
With the opened railway connection between Naivasha and Nairobi, planned industrial development near the geothermal plants at Olkaria could profit from a cargo service connecting all the way to the harbour town of Mombasa.
A Chinese-built railway line linking the Kenya’s capital of Nairobi with Naivasha was opened this week. Through the railway connection, the planned industrial park close to the geothermal power plants at Olkaria is connected to the key harbour of the country in Mombasa.
While the development of the industrial park has been delayed and so far the connection between Mombasa and Nairobi has seen cargo services underutilised, so Reuters in reporting yesterday, it could be the necessary push for the park and further investment.
“Kenya had planned to open an industrial park in Naivasha, offering companies tax breaks for investing in manufacturing, and preferential tariffs for electricity generated in the nearby geothermal fields. Local politicians are hopeful that the arrival of the railway will push investments. Local governor of Nakuru, Lee Kinyanjui said, that “We have eight major companies who want to come set up here in Naivasha,” Kinyanjui told the ceremony at the Mai Mahiu station near Naivasha, without specifying which ones.
Source: Reuters via Yahoo
