President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the revitalized 217km Nakuru - Kisumu Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) and the Nakuru central railway station on Wednesday, July 27, during a development tour of the county.
Speaking during his second day visit to the county, Uhuru noted that the Nakuru - Kisumu railway line will link the Standard Gauge Railway to the old railway line and provide employment to hundreds of Nakuru residents.
“The railway will help link the SGR and the MGR, at the same time employing more young men and women from Nakuru county,” Uhuru stated.
The president also commissioned the 465km Longonot - Malaba segment of the railway line.
The refurbished Nakuru Central Railway Station - which was launched by the Head of State - will be a key transit station for cargo and passenger train services to and from Western Kenya. It will also be the aggregation hub for farm produce from the agriculturally-rich Central Rift region for onward freight to the Coast for export.
The Nakuru Railway station will be an important stopover for transit trains destined for Eldoret, Kisumu, Kitale, Malaba, and Kampala. It will also open up the area for more business.
The president was accompanied by National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Ukur Yatani, Nakuru governor, Lee Kinjanjui, and Kenya Railway Board members among other area leaders.
The president also noted that he launched new projects and an industrial hub in Naivasha, adding that this will provide more employment opportunities to the youth.
“Yesterday, I launched new projects in Mai Mahiu and Naivasha, the new industry I launched will employ over 25,000 young women and men from Nakuru county,” Uhuru stated.
The president also assured the residents of Nakuru that he will always come again to visit them even after retiring. He further urged them to work and respect each other and more so to shun the politics of lies and deceit.
“People should unite, I thank the people of Nakuru for accommodating all the communities of Kenya and ensuring that they live in peace,”
The president also recounted how a section of people opposed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) consequently denying the people of Nakuru additional development money.
He further dismissed reports that he was planning to extend his term by supporting the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition party's Raila Odinga.
