Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o now wants the National government to source for money elsewhere to fund the Standard Gauge Railway project.
Speaking on NTV talk show, Nyong’o said the project is of great economic value to the country to be allowed to fail and urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to explore every possible avenue to ensure the Sh368 billion project covering 270 km is delivered.
He asked the government to reach out to East African Community member states and lobby them with a view to forming a consortium that will help in joint financing for the project.
“Let us not insist on going the China route if doing so is proving futile. We need to widen our scope and consider partnering with our neighbours who also stand to benefit from the project. Let’s explore collaborative finance mobilisation strategy,” he said.
The governor further argued that the planned rehabilitation of the old railway must not be tied to the SGR projects suggesting that the implementation of the two projects should be allowed to run concurrently.
Nyon’go, who served as Planning minister in the Narc government under President Mwai Kibaki said SGR was mooted to boost trade within the EAC region by providing the link between Mombasa port to the land-locked countries hence the need to bring on board the partner states toward its implementation.
“ We shall have lost the whole intention for which SGR was envisioned if the project is terminated in Naivasha. While it makes economic sense to have a dry port there, it would be even wiser to have it reach Kisumu and use Lake Victoria to move cargo to our neighbours through maritime transport which is more efficient and cheaper “ he added.
His sentiments were echoed by the other panelists in the TV show among them Ndaragua MP Jeremiah Kioni, Kisii senator Okon’go Omogeni, and Kitutu Chache MP Richard Onyonka.
The legislators however called for investigations by the directorate of criminal investigations( DCI) into how the cost of sh 300 billion Mombasa -Nairobi went up from the original plan. According to Onyonka the cost of constructing the first phase of the project was inflated.
“I sit in the parliamentary accounts committee( PAC) and each time the committee press for information regarding the cost of the project , details are never forthcoming events the top finance ministry officials continue painting a rosy picture on the same” he said .
The MP said it was absurd that Ethiopia, whose railway project was electric powered cost less than the Kenyan diesel propelled one which covered a shorter distance although both are financed by the same Chinese government.
The sentiments come amid speculations that President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga may have been denied loan for SGR phase two during their recent trip to China which State House has clarified was not part of the agenda of discussions in the visit.
on Sunday, over 12 legislators from Nyanza steered clear of the debate only saying they were not privy to details of visit by the two leaders.