(From left) Road and Transport CS Davis Chirchir, (Center) China high- level government official and a member of CPC Li Qi and UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar during the Chinese high- level delegation visit to SGR Nairobi Terminus on Sunday 3
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Davis Chirchir welcomed a high-level delegation from the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) terminus in Nairobi on Sunday.
Among the visitors was His Excellency Li Qi, a senior official of the Chinese government and a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC’s Central Committee Politburo, which is the highest-ranking decision-making body in China.
Principal Secretary of the State Department of Transport, Mohamed Daghar, highlighted the significance of Li Qi’s visit, calling it an opportunity to showcase the ongoing bilateral projects between Kenya and China. One of the focal points of the visit was the SGR, a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has served as a critical infrastructure link in the region since its inception in 2017.
The 492-kilometer railway, which connects Mombasa to Nairobi, has already been extended to Naivasha and is set to further expand towards Kisumu in western Kenya, and eventually to Malaba at the border with Uganda.
“This is not only a Kenyan project but a regional project,” said Daghar, explaining how the SGR forms part of Kenya’s broader vision to integrate transportation across East Africa. Extending the railway from Naivasha to Kisumu, a distance of 362 kilometers, is part of the next phase, known as Phase 2B.
Following this, Phase 2C will continue from Kisumu to Malaba, covering an additional 106 kilometers and connecting with neighboring countries, including Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Rwanda.
Daghar emphasized that this expansion is crucial for achieving the goals of the African Union’s Vision 2063, which seeks to enhance regional connectivity, foster trade, and facilitate capital movement across the continent.
The tour of the Nairobi terminus allowed Li Qi and his delegation to witness the progress made and the importance of the SGR in facilitating both domestic and international trade.
However, the expansion project still requires substantial funding. According to Daghar, the government is actively seeking affordable credit options to finance Phases 2B and 2C of the SGR extension. He noted that the Ministry of Roads and Transport, in collaboration with Kenya’s National Treasury, is working on structuring a financing plan to secure the necessary funds.
Li Qi will hold bilateral discussions with Kenyan officials and later meet President William Ruto at State House, where a state lunch will be held in his honor. The high-profile visit underscores the continued partnership between Kenya and China in the fields of infrastructure, transportation, education, and water resources.