Arrest, punish SGR vandals

The standard gauge railway (SGR) evokes two sharply contrasting feelings among Kenyans. On a positive note, it is the most remarkable infrastructure development since Independence and has revolutionised public transportation.

It has halved the time taken to cover 400-kilometre journey between Nairobi and Mombasa that used to take nearly 10 hours and eased cargo transportation.

However, building this new railway was not cheap. The tremendous cost in huge loans from the Chinese is the source of resentment. It’s a costly venture for which the taxpayer will be squeezed hard and there is no indication as to when it will break even.

Also criticised is the choice of the old diesel locomotive engines instead of installing modern electric trains.

And now, reports that vandals are destroying the Nairobi-Narok section of the SGR and enriching scrap metal dealers is further evidence and ammunition to the critics to confirm that the much-touted infrastructure project could turn into a white elephant.

The vandalism could be an indication of underutilisation of the line. Regular use of the track would necessitate increased surveillance, scaring away the vandals.

It will also be recalled that, in an apparent attempt at increasing business for the SGR, the Transport ministry tried to grant it monopoly over cargo transportation between Mombasa and Nairobi. But that is not how to do business in a liberalised economy, where freedom of choice is sacrosanct.

However, a crime is now being committed that calls for immediate deterrent action. Allowing saboteurs and other vermin to wreck infrastructure that has been built at such a high cost to the public amounts to abetting a crime.

The thieves who have been sawing off the guardrails and carting the metals away must be tracked down and made to face the law.