Ethiopia's electrified SGR goes live.

[MOON Ki]

I think those were picked from the media e.g. : www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/02/11/ethiopia-threatens-kenyas-investment-appeal-analyst_c1292890

Electricity costs at an average of Sh3.06 (three US cents) per kilowatt-hour is cheaper than Kenya's range of between Sh13.33 and Sh20.59 based on customer classification, consuming more than 50 units.

I don't know how reliable The Star is on such matters.   I'd probably consider Ethiopian sources, e.g. the Ethiopia Electric Agency.

[MOON Ki]

Just read Ethiopia has borrowed 17B USD from chinese..so we can get more credit from them.

It is possible that Kung Fu has a bottomless pit of money, and all people have to do is ask.   But while we wait for Kenya to ask for some more, its partners on the "Northern Corridor SGR" have been telling some stories:

[RVtitem]

Just read Ethiopia has borrowed 17B USD from chinese..so we can get more credit from them.

It is possible that Kung Fu has a bottomless pit of money, and all people have to do is ask.   But while we wait for Kenya to ask for some more, its partners on the "Northern Corridor SGR" have been telling some stories:

Ugandans are waiting for the first rail to reach uganda of Kenya and Tanzania railways. Tanzanians have set to do their rail in 18 months....once tendering is complete, so it will compete with Kenya to connect with Uganda and Rwanda.

[RV Pundit]

Kenya's phase 2A is already financed. The remaining part (Phase 2B) is Naivasha to Kisumu to Malaba. I don't see why Exim bank cannot finance this. Kenya GDP continues to grow...so we should be able to borrow more and more..to finance more projects. By time we are done with phase 2A (whooping 54months..or 5yrs!)...we should be very different country from now.

[RV Pundit]

As we argue about 1,000 KMs SGR line, South Africa have 20 000km of rail network. We need to move faster and ensure we have proper rail network connecting every part of kenya. And we can do this by taking in more and more debts...a rail network once constructed can last 100-200yrs.

[RVtitem]

As we argue about 1,000 KMs SGR line, South Africa have 20 000km of rail network. We need to move faster and ensure we have proper rail network connecting every part of kenya. And we can do this by taking in more and more debts...a rail network once constructed can last 100-200yrs.

I doubt if we will build that kind of railway network without industries in place. They won't be viable.

[RV Pundit]

Why won't it be viable? We already import/export 26m tonnes of cargo -1m plus containers...and if you check South Africa 3 ports - they are not that far - I think they are doing 3-4M containers. Railways, roads, and infrastructure are needed for moving goods & people...they don't have to be  from factories...but even internal consumption or agricultural goods. How many containers of tea/coffee/sugar/maize/etc do we produce and that need to be moved.

We should invest in infrastructure at same level of Ethiopia..about double the capacity we are now at....for our own supply chain..not necessarily to ship raw material out or finished good abroad..but to move maize from Eldoret to Nairobi for example..quickly and cheaply.

I doubt if we will build that kind of railway network without industries in place. They won't be viable.

[MOON Ki]

Excluding the SGR, Kenya has something like 2,200 km of railways.    But someone forgot the little matter of maintenance, so only half of that is operational.    A good start would be to fix what is already there.   In the meantime, mzungu's great-grandson would be happy to see the original work done by the ancestors:









ETC.

[RV Pundit]

RVR are suppose to fix and run the old rail line for 25yrs. IFC messed up big time and we are stuck with RVR for another 20 or so years. Ethiopia up north, poorer than kenya, are building 5,000kms of SGR...and here we are complaining about 500Km of SGR..and arguing about nonsense like viability..when everyone knows a rail line will last hundrend of years.

Excluding the SGR, Kenya has something like 2,200 km of railways.    But someone forgot the little matter of maintenance, so only half of that is operational.    A good start would be to fix what is already there.   In the meantime, mzungu's great-grandson would be happy to see the original work done by the ancestors:

[gout]

A power line parallel to the SGR is being built - electrifying in future shouldn't be a big deal.

[MOON Ki]

RVR are suppose to fix and run the old rail line for 25yrs. IFC messed up big time and we are stuck with RVR for another 20 or so years.

I believe RVR's concession is limited to direct Mombasa-Uganda line, which is the part of existing railways that is still functional.

.when everyone knows a rail line will last hundrend of years.

Indeed.   Like this in Kenya :

[RV Pundit]

I believe once we are done with SGR..we will convert the existing MGR to SGR & modernize it. RVR ran the Nairobi metro line...so I don't know if that too is part of Uganda line. Part of the problem with current rail is the technology has changed.Definitely these are long term projects that will last 100yrs and we should not worry about viability -if the financiers are ready to fund it.

That rail fell apart like everything else did during Moi disastrous rule.

RVR are suppose to fix and run the old rail line for 25yrs. IFC messed up big time and we are stuck with RVR for another 20 or so years.

I believe RVR's concession is limited to direct Mombasa-Uganda line, which is the part of existing railways that is still functional.

.when everyone knows a rail line will last hundrend of years.

Indeed.   Like this in Kenya :

[MOON Ki]

I believe once we are done with SGR..we will convert the existing MGR to SGR & modernize it. RVR ran the Nairobi metro line...so I don't know if that too is part of Uganda line. Part of the problem with current rail is the technology has changed.Definitely these are long term projects that will last 100yrs and we should not worry about viability -if the financiers are ready to fund it.

Red: You stated that "fix and run the old rail line for 25yrs", and I responded with a remark on RVR's concession.   Is the Nairobi "metro line" part of the "old rail line"?   Is it included in the RVR concession agreement on the "old rail line"?

[RV Pundit]

I reckon the whole MGR is concession-ed to RVR. It messy that IFC left us with. Nobody is willing to invest the capital needed to bring it back to full capacity. I read they are doing 1m tonnes..which is not bad..but far from 5m tonnes it did in the 80s.

Red: You stated that "fix and run the old rail line for 25yrs", and I responded with a remark on RVR's concession.   Is the Nairobi "metro line" part of the "old rail line"?   Is it included in the RVR concession agreement on the "old rail line"?