Fears about rail route dismissed as ‘nonsense’

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta shrugged off calls by environmental activists to change the route of the second phase of the China-built Standard Gauge Railway, which is to pass through Nairobi National Park about 7 kilometers south of Nairobi.

“I want to make it clear that everything has been done according to the law, so those who are inciting local communities that the railway line will affect the national park, that’s nonsense,” the president said. “All necessary measures have been taken to ensure that the park is not affected.

“We want to develop the economy of this nation, and having an efficient transportation system is a key factor toward that direction.”

In mid-September, the Kenya Coalition for Wildlife Conservation and Management and activist Okiyah Omtata filed an appeal contending that Kenya Railways Corp, which oversees the Standard Gauge Railway, and China Road and Bridges Corp, the contractor, had begun phase two of the project without following the law.

KRC Managing Director Atanas Maina said that before the decision was made to have the railway pass through the park, other options were explored but were too costly.

To allow the free movement of animals, a 6-kilometer-long bridge was designed, whose highest point is 41 meters from the ground and the lowest point 8 meters, Maina said.