Revive meter-gauge Nairobi-Nanyuki railway to open up Mt Kenya, north

The Jubilee government is really doing good work in improving the transport infrastructure — including building and rehabilitating roads and constructing the standard gauge railway (SGR). Traders will benefit a lot from them.

Nevertheless, I see the need for the government to revive the old meter-gauge railway from Nairobi to Nanyuki. It’s unfortunate that it has been neglected.

Once revived, traders and farmers would more easily and cost-effectively transport their products and produce, respectively. It will be convenient, efficient and cheap. This would still be a source of revenue for the government, just as from the roads and the SGR.

To achieve agriculture, one of the ‘Big Four Agenda’ pillars, the rehabilitated railway will allow small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those in agri-business, to expand their businesses by cutting the high cost of transporting goods by road.

Also, the towns along the railway will be busier, creating many jobs — formal and informal.

Another advantage is that the farm produce that rots in the farms in these areas can now get to the market too.

Poor infrastructure and the long distance from these areas to the big markets in the cities have always been a challenge to most farmers involved in agri-business.

Lastly, reviving this historic railway line will help to quickly open up the arid and semi-arid northern paert of the country.