When Uganda announced that it had dropped plans for an SGR
(Standard Gauge Railway) and that they will rehabilitate the old narrow Metre
Gauge Railway (MGR), it became evident that Kenya had to scale down its SGR
ambitions, at least in the near term!
Kenya plans to complete its SGR from Mombasa to Naivasha by mid-2019,
after which the focus should shift to maximizing value for the SGR.
How to increase and maintain Mombasa Port attractiveness to
Uganda, Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi etc, using a combination of SGR,
MGR and road haulage, is now the immediate guiding questions for Kenya.
Developing a major ICD at Suswa (Naivasha) and linking it
with the MGR (say at Longonot), will create an ideal and effective convergence
of the three modes of transport at Naivasha.
If indeed Uganda will upgrade its MGR network, Kenya will
likewise modernise its MGR section from Naivasha to Malaba. This will increase
service assurance and safety. A redesigned road access from the Naivasha ICD to
the main highway will also be necessary.
The final product will be a Naivasha logistics hub of choice handling transit imports
and exports, and also exports/imports for western parts of Kenya, Rwanda,
Burundi, Congo, Uganda, South Sudan etc.
Travel distances by importers/exporters will be shortened,
and specifically the Nairobi ICD clutter and city congestion will be avoided.
Next is Kisumu for the waterway connection with Tanzania and
Uganda!
My Opinion: Go for it. Invest huge and capitalize on current
low property prices in Naivasha. It’s the next big thing
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