A Kenyan top official described today as enormous the benefits of the railroad that China will build between this capital and the port of Mombasa, worth 13 billion dollars.
The project has a broad spectrum of benefits, because, in addition to improving the standard of living of the population, boosting the economy and creating jobs, it also saves important resources in repairing roads and highways, the administrative director of Kenyan Railways, Atanas Maina, told reporters.
According to the official, 90 percent of the personnel employed in the construction of the railway are native.
'We have tried unsuccessfully to materialize a project of this magnitude for three decades; every two years we have to rebuild the roads, where accidents are huge and frequent, in addition to saving on the costs of moving goods between Mombasa and Nairobi.'
He pointed out that the new iron road, run by the Chinese corporation CRCB, will link both localities, will go through the national parks, which will contribute to increasing tourism, will reach other regions, train personnel and employ people with knowledge in this and other spheres of the economy.
Although there are no direct references, the project is compatible with the Beijing initiative known as the Silk Road of the 21st Century, recently presented at a summit in the Chinese capital attended by delegations from 29 countries and which the United States branded as impracticable.
The Chinese initiative is valued at four billion dollars. (Prensa Latina)