(Photo: David Njaaga/Standard)Taxpayers will have to cough up more cash for land in the second phase of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project. This comes even as the Government and environmental lobby groups seek alternative routes for the second phase of the multi-billion-dollar railway line through the Nairobi National Park to Naivasha. All the seven options presented for the Sh150 billion extension cut through a portion of the National park, about 5kms and require a bridge of between six and 15 kilometres across the park. Construction of the first phase of the railway was delayed largely because of wrangles between local community members and the State over compensation for land. “We have the option of exercising this provision so that the construction of the project can proceed even as issues related to land compensation are being ironed out,” he said.

Source: Standard Digital March 09, 2017 16:41 UTC