Just a day to the launch of the much-publicised Standard Gauge Railway, a debate has emerged on social media criticising part of the project, which is the Jubilee Government's flagship project.
Kenyans are not happy after it emerged that the training manual for the SGR is written in Chinese, a language that very few Kenyans understand.
Kenyans took to the social media to express their disappointment in what some termed an attempt to force Kenyans to learn Chinese against their will. Here is a sample of how they reacted.
@NgumboN @johnaglionby All colonists come with a railway, it seems
— Half-Baked Graduate (@MartinMureithi) May 29, 2017
@johnaglionby @MinorSam Why do they need to learn Chinese? Guangzhou is not one of the SGR stations, or is it? Nonsense
— David Muchina (@muchina_dr) May 30, 2017
The poor translation of signage on the escalators and other sections of the grand project did not go down well with many Kenyans.
[caption caption="Sample of the SGR escalator notice"]
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With Kiswahili being the national language, Kenyans took to social media to express their disappointment with what had been done.
The signage is translated from English to very poor Kiswahili that does not make sense in most instances.
Here is a sample of their reactions.
Si kama Hii part wangepea tu wakenya jameni... https://t.co/mEPrq28Eqg
— doro heavy (@chemuenitan) May 30, 2017
Fine, the SGR is here lakini tuwache aibu ndogo ndogo.
— Ory Okolloh Mwangi (@kenyanpundit) May 30, 2017
One Kenyan pointed out that the management failed in giving out the task of translation to non-Kenyans resulting in the poor work.
Si kama Hii part wangepea tu wakenya jameni... https://t.co/mEPrq28Eqg
— doro heavy (@chemuenitan) May 30, 2017
President Uhuru Kenyatta will launch the project tomorrow with a maiden trip from Mombasa to Nairobi.
