By Allan Olingo

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Construction of the modern Kisumu port under the standard gauge railway will take 18 months.

Documents from Kenya Railways seen by The EastAfrican show that the port will be in Usare, Kisian, 16km from Kisumu town, and will include two multi-purpose berths of 3,000 tonnes and one work boar berth.

When complete, the port will be leased to sub-operators under an agreement with the Kenya Ports Authority.

“There will also be the construction of a roll on/roll off (ro-ro) terminal that will facilitate loading and offloading from ships designed to carry wheeled cargo like cars,” the design document reads in part.

The port will be linked by rail, access roads, electricity connections and satellite buildings. It will require 20square km of land to accommodate its amenities.

Employment opportunities

“The operational port workforce would initially require hundreds of full-time employees, gradually increasing to thousands,” the document says.
As a justification for construction of the port, standard gauge railway planners say they aim to transport cement, coal and petroleum products through the port to the regional countries.

Early this year, Kenya’s Ministry of Transport proposed construction of the new port once the SGR reaches Kisumu. The ministry has already finalised a financial agreement with China Exim Bank for a $140 million loan to finance its construction.

“We aim to increase business with neighbouring countries. We have chosen this new location as it gives us the flexibility for expansion and also allows us to build a logistics and an industrial park,” Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia told The EastAfrican.

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