Published Date:
26-Jul-2011
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The move will see more goods now transported by rail than road, paving way to more savings on roads repair costs.

Regional Project

On average, eight per cent of goods are transported by rail compared to 92 per cent by road within the region.

To date, the Bank has approved more than 30 private sector operations amounting to approximately $500 million (Sh44.5 billion) in East Africa, with RVR being the second private sector regional project in the area after the East African Submarine Cable (EASSy) Project.

The Concession Agreement provide for the preparation of Resettlement Action Plans as the means of managing encroachment on the 

railway reserve.

The total estimated budget for implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the Resettlement Action Plans for the majority of the conceded network in Kenya is estimated at $266,891 while that of Uganda is $1 million (Sh90 million).

Exclusive Corridor

On the other hand, the total estimated budget for clearing, monitoring and evaluating the additional areas in light of safety considerations beyond the 10.4 metre corridor, in particular level crossings and densely populated areas, in Kenya is approximately $ 2.3 million while in Uganda is $1.5 million.

The conceded railway network in Kenya comprises of a total track length of 1920 kilometres, which runs from Kenya’s Indian Ocean port of Mombasa to Malaba while the conceded railway network in Uganda has a total track length of 771 kilometres, made up of the Malaba-Kampala main line.

RVR operates a total rail network of 1920 kilometres. The main line runs from Mombasa at the coast to Malaba in the west.

Typically, the railway line has an exclusive corridor (referred to as a reserve) of 60.6 metres wide throughout the network except at station yards and major depots where a larger railway reserve is provided.

Despite the requirement to have a railway reserve free for railway operations and safety, parts of the railway reserve have been encroached upon.

The railway reserve in both Kibera and Mukuru within the city of Nairobi is particularly encroached by large numbers of people who reside and/or carry out business within it.

At several places on the railway reserve, market centres have been established on either sides of the railway line.

Economic Growth

AfDB’s Involuntary Resettlement Policy mandates the preparation of a Resettlement Action Plan when a project will result in the physical and/or economic displacement of project affected persons.

RVR intends to embark on an investment programme, which will include rehabilitation of the track, upgrading and modernisation of the locomotive fleet, rehabilitation of the wagon fleet to improve efficiency by operating at design speeds.