Construction of the US $68m Naivasha Dry Port has started. Naivasha Sub-county Commissioner Mathioya Mbogo made the announcement and said that that the commencement comes after the Cabinet’s approval of the budget for the development.
The Naivasha dry port project
The Naivasha dry port project aims to boost standard gauge railway operations. It will sit on a 1,000-acre piece of land in Kedong ranch. The project features an inland container depot, railway marshalling yard, logistics zone and public utility area. The road linking the port to the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is nearly complete. Mathioya Mbogo affirmed that families that were living on the project site are currently being resettled in a 4,000 acres of land provided by Kedoche ranch.
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“This is now government land. The first batch of 51 families have been resettled and we are working tirelessly to see the rest moved. Many of our local youth have been employed at this site. We expect the Inland Container Depot to be ready soon,” said Mbogo.
President Kenyatta has been working overdrive to develop both Naivasha and Mombasa ports to keep business from Uganda and South Sudan amidst competition from Tanzania. The head of State also awarded Uganda and South Sudan free land in March and July respectively to build godowns to ease movement of goods at the dry port.
LAPSSET
President Kenyatta said Kenya was fast-tracking the completion of the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia (LAPSSET) projects, including transnational highways, oil pipeline and the Lamu Port, among others, to link the neigbouring countries. “The first berth (of the Lamu Port) will be ready this August while Berths 2 and 3 are expected to be completed within the year 2020,” said the president.
