NAIROBI, Kenya — More than a century after a colonial railway gave birth to modern Kenya, the country is betting on a new Chinese-built route to cement its position as the gateway to East Africa. He said not upgrading the railway in over 100 years "has dragged us backwards in terms of development." The capital Nairobi, today a regional hub, was a swampy outpost with no particular attraction until it became the headquarters of Kenya Railways. In as much as the old line traced the development of colonial Kenya, the new railway has proven a mirror for modern Kenya: dogged by corruption accusations, battling environmental concerns while trying to position itself as the gateway to east Africa. Macharia dismisses this argument, saying Kenya's SGR could carry more cargo, and passes through trickier terrain.

Source: The China Post May 29, 2017 09:45 UTC