Uhuru to Unveil Sh25bn ‘Handshake’ Projects in Kisumu

President Uhuru Kenyatta will commission several big-dollar projects in Kisumu during his three-day tour of the Lakeside city ahead of the Madaraka Day celebrations on Tuesday.

The projects, which are valued at over Sh25 billion, are widely viewed as the fruits of the March 9, 2018 ‘handshake’ between President Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga.

They include the renewed Nakuru-Kisumu Metre Gauge Railway, refurbished Kisumu Port, Jomo Kenyatta Stadium, Uhuru Business Park, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Sports Complex, 400kv Olkaria-Lessos-Kisumu transmission line, and the Kibos Inland Container Depot.

President Kenyatta is also expected to commission Kisumu’s first marine school at the Railway Training Institute, among other major projects.

Nakuru-Kisumu Metre Gauge Railway

According to the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC), rehabilitation of the Nakuru-Kisumu MGR is almost complete and ready for commissioning by the head of state.

“The remaining minor works will be completed by next month,” KRC chairman Maj Gen (Rtd) Umudho Awitta said on Monday during an inspection tour of the project.

Rehabilitation of the 216km railway that connects to the refurbished Kisumu Port has been undertaken by the Kenya Defence Forces in partnership with KRC at a cost of Sh3.8 billion.

It will facilitate transportation of cargo and passengers to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo on commercial ships via Lake Victoria.

Kenya had initially planned to extend the standard gauge railway (SGR) to Kisumu from Naivasha but the plan was dropped after the country failed to secure a Sh380 billion loan from China, which funded the line spanning from Mombasa to Naivasha.

The Kenya Railways is renovating 18 stations of the century-old railway to facilitate smooth operations once passenger services resume.

“Within a month, we will have repaired the stations. Work has already started in most of them. We are planning to fence them off to secure them since they will be commercial hubs,” Kenya Railways managing director Phillip Mainga said in an interview.

Refurbished Kisumu Port

President Kenyatta will also commission the refurbished Kisumu Port, which was upgraded at a cost of Sh3 billion in a bid to help Kisumu regain its status as a regional business hub.

Among rehabilitation works at the port include construction of the quayside, concreting of the port yard, rehabilitation of the dry dock, and installation of cargo handling equipment.

The roads and the link roads to the port have also been rehabilitated, with jetties and piers also being put in place. There is also an overhaul of dilapidated boat deplorers (ramps for lowering boats onto the lake) to boost efficiency.

400kV Transmission Line

The construction of a 308km 400/220/132kV transmission line from Olkaria in Naivasha to Kisumu is a big deal for western Kenya. The Sh16 billion line will soon evacuate electricity from Olkaria through Lessos, to Kisumu – supply stable power to Kisumu Port.

The transmission line was built in three lots the first of which involved construction of the 229km 400kV double circuit line from the Olkaria II substation to the Lessos substation.

The second lot involved construction of a 79km 220kV double circuit transmission line from the Lessos substation to the Kibos substation and 132kV from Kibos to Mamboleo in Kisumu.

The final lot involved construction of a new 220/132 kV substation at Kibos and extension of the present 400/220kV Lessos and 220kV Olkaria II substations.

Uhuru Business Park Complex

Also set for commissioning is the Sh700 million Uhuru Business Park on Nyerere Road, whose phase one has just been concluded by Infinity Development – a company owned by slain Somali-American businessman, Mohamud Bashir Mohamed.

President Kenyatta will also open the 20,000-capacity Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium at Momboleo ASK Show Ground, which has been upgraded for Sh350 million.

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Sports Complex

The head of state will also launch the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Sports Complex, an iconic recreational park within the city centre, which has been upgraded for Sh200 million.

Previously known as Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground, the facility has been renamed to immortalise Kenya’s first Vice President, Mzee Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

The President is also expected to launch the Inland Container Depot Kisumu (ICDK) that has been set up on 17.5 hectares at Kibos on the shores of Lake Victoria. The ICDK has a stacking area designed for an annual throughput of 15,000 teu (twenty-foot equivalent unit).

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