President Samoei Ruto on Friday, April 10 presided over the launch of construction of  Voi-Mwatate Meter Gauge Railway (MGR).

Speaking at Mariwenyi, Taita-Taveta County, President Ruto said restoration of the Voi-Mwatate railway, including a dry port in Voi, will position the town as a strategic logistics hub linking the Port of Mombasa and the Taveta/Holili One-Stop Border Post along the Kenya-Tanzania border.

The KSh5.5 billion initiative will revive the once vibrant Mombasa-Voi-Taveta-Moshi-Arusha-Singida-Bujumbura trade route, reducing the distance between Mombasa and Bujumbura by 358km.

Further, he said the railway will ease the movement of people and goods across the three countries, unlocking Taita-Taveta County’s mining potential and boosting the import and export of agricultural products such as sisal and maize in the region.

The project is planned to be completed early next year.