NAIROBI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenya said on Wednesday the implementation of the Chinese-built standard gauge railway (SGR) which runs from Mombasa to Nairobi has continued to improve transportation of cargo and passengers and will not affect the road freight transport sector.
James Macharia, Cabinet Secretary in Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development said in Nairobi that even as the use of the SGR is at full capacity, it can only move 40 percent of the total traffic passing through the port of Mombasa, leaving the remaining 60 percent to be transported by road.
"Therefore, contrary to the concerns raised by some stakeholders, the SGR will not kill road transport but merely supplement it so as to facilitate the seamless movement of goods and people," Macharia said during the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) stakeholders forum.
Joseph Kibwana, KPA chairman said the SGR is a game-changer in the maritime industry and a clear testament of how Kenya and her regional trade partners can move cargo through diverse modes of transport.
Kibwana said that Kenya is alive to the fact that there would be no large scale and gainful business without an effective transportation system and faster cargo handling, logistical security and timely delivery of raw materials and finished goods.
