China’s Belt and Road Initiative helps expand logistics capacity in Nairobi

2017-12-18
China Plus

An inland container depot upgraded by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) was opened in Nairobi, Kenya on Dec 16, 2017, reports Xinhua News Agency.

A freight train passes through the Nairobi Inland Container Depot on Dec 16, 2017. [Photo/China Plus]

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Charge d’Affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Kenya Li Xuhang attended the opening ceremony.

Li Xuhang said the new facility greatly enhances the market competitiveness of the Mombasa railway and port, and strengthens the role of Kenya as a logistics hub in East Africa. The project also plays a major role in bringing China’s Belt and Road Initiative into the continent.

A truck loads with containers at the Nairobi Inland Container Depot on Dec 16, 2017. [Photo/China Plus]

The Kenyan president thanked China for its long-standing support in the field of infrastructure construction. He said that the modernized Nairobi Inland Container Depot would increase railway freight capacity, accelerate the flow of trade, reduce logistics costs, and promote economic development along the railway, providing more jobs for the Kenyan people.

Local people dance at the opening ceremony for the Nairobi Inland Container Depot on Dec 16, 2017. [Photo/China Plus]

The construction of the Nairobi Inland Container Depot started on May 1, 2016. The depot is located about 3.5 km to the west of Nairobi railway station, which is the terminal of the Mombasa-Nairobi railway line.