Kenyan President attends the groundbreaking ceremony of the second phase project of the Nairobi-Malaba railway built by a Chinese company.

The second phase of the Nairobi-Malaba Railway project, built by the China Communications Construction Group, held a groundbreaking ceremony in Narok County, Kenya on the 19th. Kenyan President William Ruto attended the event, along with both Chinese and Kenyan builders. As a key extension of the China-Kenya joint construction of the "Belt and Road" flagship project, the Nairobi-Malaba Railway Phase II starts from the endpoint of Phase I in Naivasha and ends in Kisumu, the third largest city and an important transportation hub in Kenya, with a total length of 272.65 kilometers of mainline and branch line. This project will improve the railway network in East Africa and promote connectivity and sustainable development in Africa. Ruto stated at the groundbreaking ceremony, "The start of the Nairobi-Malaba Railway Phase II project is an important step in promoting the country's economic transformation. The extension of the railway will further enhance transport efficiency, reduce logistics costs, and boost Kenya's position as a hub in the Great Lakes region and the African continent trade system." A representative from the Chinese side of the project stated that as an important flagship project of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative in East Africa, standard-gauge railways have become an important engine for promoting regional connectivity and economic development. After the project is launched, China Communications Construction Group will fully utilize its advantages in the entire industry chain to efficiently promote construction, deepen localization cooperation, strengthen technical training, create more job opportunities, and support the economic and social development of Kenya. According to the China Communications Construction Group, once the entire Nairobi-Malaba Railway and the planned standard-gauge railway in Uganda are completed, the travel time from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, to Kampala, the capital of Uganda, will be reduced from approximately 14 hours to about 4 hours, and freight costs will decrease by about 35%, driving the development of agriculture and fisheries in western Kenya, promoting Kisumu as a regional logistics hub, and further enhancing economic and trade exchanges between Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, and other countries.