Kenya standard gauge ground-breaking 28 Nov 2013

[John Ashworth]

Standard gauge railway ground breaking set for this week

IN SUMMARY

- The construction of the modern rail will is expected to lower commodity prices through the more efficient transportation system
- It will help accelerate the country’s economic growth through the development of areas where stations will be located
- China’s Exim Bank is funding 85 per cent of the project through loan and the rest for the funds will be provided by the Kenya Government
- Kenya Railways Corporation is expecting a four-and-a-half-hour passenger ride between Nairobi and Mombasa on the trains which will travel at 120 kilometres per hour down from the current slightly over 12 hours

Mombasa-Kigali rail groundbreaking set for Nov. 28

Construction of high-speed railway line to begin this week

[John Ashworth]

New standard gauge railway ‘is a do-or-die project for Kenya’

[John Ashworth]

There's a lot in the Daily Nation today about the ground-breaking for the new standard gauge railway.

Building of Sh1.2trn railway starts on Thursday (ie today)

Four presidents to attend ground-breaking ceremony

Four more MPs criticise standard gauge railway tender

Uhuru’s railway could give birth to very ‘strange’ things in East Africa

There's also an article which I can't find online entitled "Dockers in court to block railway project", a two page colour spread lauding "The Launch of the Construction of Standard gauge Railway: Mombasa-Kampala-Kigali-Juba", and a photo on the front page of President Uhuru Kenyatta being presented with a model of "a modern train" (aka a Chinese diesel locomotive).

Edited to add: The picture of the model train can be seen in the second link. While searching for it online, I also found a picture of Uhuru Kenyatta's father, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, inspecting his train in 1965. The story and caption can be found here.

[John Ashworth]

And from the BBC (who also had a piece about it on BBC World Service radio):

Kenya launches new railway to reach South Sudan and Burundi

"The project will define my legacy as president of Kenya" [President Uhuru Kenyatta]

Note that the piece of track pictured has concrete sleepers.

[John Ashworth]

Kenya eyes trade benefits from planned Chinese-built railway

Kenya launches $13.8bn China-built railway to boost trade (includes video)

[John Ashworth]

It even makes it into the Sudanese and South Sudanese media:

Kenya launches construction of regional railway line

[John Ashworth]

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siZdDjBL1Q8

There's also another article in today's Daily Nation entitled "Railway line will drastically reduce the cost and time of travel".

Edited to add: Found it! Railway set to cut cost and time of travel

[John Ashworth]

‘MoKaKi’ project breaks ground in Mombasa

It should really be called "MoKaKiJu", as there are plans to extend it to Juba!

[John Ashworth]

Why town longs for the roar of morning train

Interesting perspective from Kisumu.

[John Ashworth]

Railways seems to be the theme of the day in the Kenyan media this week!

Bitter-sweet railway tales

[John Ashworth]

Ruto questions legality of railway tender even as he attended launch

[John Ashworth]

There’s more to railway contract row...