State House Slams Kenyan Media over Misleading Reports on SGR Loan

State House has refuted reports claiming that Sh368 billion Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) loan was part of President Kenyatta's recent trip to China.

State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita says SGR loan was not part of President Uhuru's agenda during the meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing last week.

Waita was responding to reports appearing on a section of local media claiming that Kenya's bid to secure the loan for the extension of the railway from Naivasha to Kisumu flopped.

"It is very disappointing to read excerpts from the newspapers. The President cannot be said to be returning home empty-handed for something he did not request," states Waita.

Waita has termed the reports as factually incorrect and misleading.

"The Government of Kenya did not discuss any funding proposals for the extension of the SGR at the meeting. The SGR project is a regional project and the complexities in negotiating its completion involve several countries and securing financing for its completion could take several years of intricate negotiations," he adds.

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma has also lashed out at the press over their reporting on the SGR loan deal.

"In fact, the SGR extension beyond Naivasha was never a priority agenda for the current mission to Beijing," says Juma in a tweet.