Kenya Commences to Build a railway from Lamu port to Moyale-Addis Ababa
Kenya has announced that it is going to build a railway line connecting Ethiopia for $14 billion.
Bloomberg reports that the electric-powered railway will connect Ethiopia and South Sudan from Lamu Port in the Indian Ocean.
This railway line will start working in the year 2025 and will be 3,000 km long.
The railway line will start from the Indian Ocean, through Osiolo, Kenya’s central city, connecting Nairobi and Addis Ababa, and will make its final destination in Juba, South Sudan.
This high-speed rail line is about to “reduce Ethiopia’s dependence on the ports of Assab and Mtswa, as well as Djibouti.” It also has many other social, political and economic benefits.
It has been pointed out that South Sudan will have a second port through the construction of this fast railway line next to Port Sudan.
When the construction of the railway line is completed and the service starts, it will be possible to provide transport services from Lamu Port to Ethiopia and South Sudan.
Kenyan President Mo Kibaki, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and South Sudanese President Salvakir Mayardit signed an agreement in 2009 to develop and use the port of Lamu.
Kenya developed a railway project for Ethiopia and South Sudan to use, but Ethiopia was not yet interested.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government is making various efforts for Ethiopia to have an alternative port for additional import and export trade, and it has been stated that the decision to use Lamu Port as one of the options has been made.
Following this, Kenya is in the process of building a railway infrastructure from Lamu Port to Moyale -Addis Ababa.
