Infrastructural dev’t critical for EAC

Editor,I agree with the author. Right now, it takes one of my containers from Mombasa or Dar es Salaam an average of five weeks to reach Kigali. (without including the days it takes to clear them from Magerwa – just getting them from the coast to Kigali). Fastest is about three weeks, and slowest is about six months. It is almost impossible to imagine serious manufacturing businesses relocating to Rwanda.The ONLY solution that can solve this major trade/development problem is a good railway. I do not think the author is advocating “bullet trains” which are really aimed at high-price, super-fast passenger transport.What we need is a double-track, wide gauge railroad that can get containers to and from Dar es Salaam in about one day (it is only 1000km, and should not take more than 25 to 30 hours if planned and operated well). Then you would see Rwanda’s development taking off in a truly astonishing way!Simon, Kigali ------------------------------------------------------------ Editor,A bright idea. However, I feel it would have been better if you mentioned infrastructural development in general, not narrowing your argument to fastest trains only. Do you mean countries where with fastest trains have replaced the road transport? If hospitals are not fixed, will the fastest trains transport corpses?If our hospitals were fixed, the question of having our freedom fighters’ daughters giving birth from European countries wouldn’t arise.Besides, the fighter jets to be purchased by Uganda, those funds could be used to put back Uganda Airlines or East African Airways.Lastly, with corruption raging like a bush fire in some East African countries, oil, gas and uranium may not benefit the masses. But let’s hope for the BEST.Nicholas Muhiire, Byumba(Reactions to the opinion titled, We should be shopping for high speed trains, – The Sunday Times, September 13).

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Infrastructural dev’t critical for EAC