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{
    "id": 555093,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/555093/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 137,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. F. K. Wanyonyi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2065,
        "legal_name": "Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi",
        "slug": "ferdinard-kevin-wanyonyi"
    },
    "content": "market. As you know, Kenya is the hub of the region and with this railway line, I know they will expand the businesses to and beyond the East African Community (EAC). Two, I know that Kenya will benefit because we are more educated. I am proud to say that Kenya has a very big educated workforce. Therefore, we can do business over and beyond the region’s borders because Kenyans are very enterprising. No wonder you see them setting up businesses over and above what we are seeing at the moment. So, the opening up of the railway line will develop our infrastructure. It will take a very short time to move from Mombasa to Nairobi. I am told that from Mombasa to Nairobi, it may take less than three hours. When you go by road, it takes such a long time. The journey is coupled with risks on the road. The trucks are too many on the highway. The other day when I was going home, it took me almost three hours to get to Nakuru, and another three hours from Nakuru to Eldoret. By rail, it would be much faster. There will be less strain on the roads. So, as far as I am concerned, that is a very good initiative. I support it. The other thing is the volume of business at the Coast. The Coast will have many clearing and forwarding companies as a result of the opening up of the region. Other than decongesting Mombasa, we will have more businesses at the Coast. It will improve the economy of our country. The number of accidents will reduce. Accidents are not anything that one would want to talk about. I believe that with the railway that is going to be in use, accidents and trucks travelling at night will be a thing of the past. Therefore, I support this initiative. Above all, as Hon. Bunyasi has said, the development of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line is going to revive Rift Valley Railways (RVR), which is dead. Last but not least, more businesses will come up. From Mombasa to Voi, there will be a stopover. Tourists will go there and the purchasing level will be much higher. Recently, I was in Mombasa. I can tell you that the reason why there is a burden on the exchange rate is because there are no tourists. So, foreign exchange is dwindling because no tourists are coming to this country. If you talk to them, most of them will tell you that they fear coming here because Kenya is one of the worst-rated countries in terms of accidents. So, the tourists who come here fear going by road. So, I support this Protocol on development and operation of SGR because it will open up the region. Thank you."
}