You build infrastructure to cater for national strategic interest just like the US Interstate highway system was primarily built to enable quick evacuation and dispersal of americans from the cities in case of a soviet attack. The mombasa railway line was built to enable the British control east africa all the way to eastern congo. Now in the 1960's to 1970's Uganda was more powerful military wise and unless you are an idiot you wouldn't upgrade that line you will be overrun within hours because 70% of the kenya population lives along the railway line. Upgrading that line is national suicide unless you can defend it. That's why lapsset is more strategically viable it can be easily protected in the northern plains and opens a whole part of the country.

someone in gaament shud watch"the men who built America", lapsset is a very minor project compared to what those men accomplished in their day, i believe the government should create enough incentives for private sector financing of infrastructure projects

By creating a railway line passing thro’ and to open northern Kenya alone in itself will not jumpstart our economy. What are Kenya’s major towns and most productive areas? –Nairobi, Nakuru, Nyeri Eldoret, Kisumu, meru etc - 90% of GDP is generated in these areas, and they are the ones that require urgent rail upgrade. Then look at the map and consider relative location of Kampala and Juba and you realise you do not have to borrow 2 Trillions to build Lapsset right now. Northern Kenya can still be served very effectively by road for the next 10 years.

Reli will take maendeleo there. Then Nairobians will be sainging Nairobi si Kenya. The potential of spurring growth for new Railway line is huge. Secondly, with projected growth for the region, the current infrastructure (port + railway) are grossly inadequate and will stifle growth. Imagine where Kenya would be if there was no Lunatic Express?