The construction of Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway line(SGR) line has been endorsed by African diplomats saying the project is worth a mile in the continued Africa-China ties.
This comes a day after 13 diplomats from different African nationalities visited the construction site to see the development which has been key in the region.
They included ambassadors of Zimbabwe, Uganda, Ghana, Algeria, Senegal, Mozambique and Rwanda who were invited by the Chinese embassy in Kenya to witness the progress of the railway project.
Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Liu Xianfa said that China wishes to see a developed African continent in terms of infrastructure.
“We as China we want to help the Africa countries have key infrastructure projects so that they can be able to improve their economies” he added.
He called upon all diplomats to ensure that they identify key projects and advise their governments on how they can be easily implemented.
During the visit, the Rwandan High Commissioner to Kenya, James Kimonyo, said he was impressed by the high levels of involvement of Kenyan engineers and technicians in the project.
He said that they look forward to ensure that all African countries have mega projects such as SGR so that they can improve on trade and economy.
“Let’s unite as Africans to ensure that we develop our infrastructure sector which in the past has been developing at a low rate” he added
Kenya’s standard gauge railway (SGR) is fuunded by China and will run from the port of Mombasa to the capital Nairobi, replacing a track built a century ago during the British colonial rule. The project is being carried out by the China Road and Bridge Corporation.
In the second phase, the railway will reach Kenya’s western border with Uganda, and the rail is expected to eventually extend to other East African countries.
Poor Infrastructure in Africa has been cited as a major deterrent to economic growth. Observers say that for Africa to develop, road infrastructure and energy must play a major role.
