Nyando Member of Parliament Jared Okello disclosed that President William Ruto pledged to extend the Standard Guage Railway (SGR) to Kisumu County.
Speaking during an interview on Ramogi TV on Tuesday, January 17, Okello stated that the President assured them that he would seek Ksh4 billion for the project.
He disclosed that Ruto explained that the extension will be beneficial to the operation of the Kisumu port that was revived under his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta.
Okello added that the new administration was also intending to revitalise the railway network to neighbouring countries.
"On the matter of the port, the President actually told us that it was not beneficial as it was, given that the goods left for neighbouring countries from Mombasa port yet the SGR ended in Naivasha.
"He stated that there was Ksh4 billion he was looking for the extension of the SGR so that some of the cargo can be transported using rail," he stated.
Further, he expressed that the leaders called on the President to continue with some of the projects that were initiated by Uhuru during his second term.
Okello indicated that some of the promises of the President had started to take effect days after he left the lakeside region.
"MV Uhuru I was already completed and he brought money for the completion of MV Uhuru II which is being built by the military," he stated.
Furthermore, the legislator added that Ruto had already begun talks with other countries that had expressed interest in their ships being made in Kisumu.
The extension of the SGR was identified as one of the key infrastructural projects for the current regime.
Speaking on December 8, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, hinted that the extension of the project would begin this year with Nakuru being the first beneficiary of the plan.
"Later, we will connect it to Eldoret, Kisumu before it goes to Uganda. In the next few months, we should start connecting it to Nakuru," he stated then.
