A new dawn for Kenya’s Railway Transport

Last Updated 12 years ago by Kenya Engineer

Kenya’s railway network is subject to change in the quest to achieve Vision 2030. This was reinforced in a consultative forum held in Nairobi in July between the respective ministers responsible for transport from Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. 

The changes include construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) that links Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, which is expected to move over 28million metric tonnes of cargo.  The Mombasa-Kampala-Kigali SGR line is said to cover around 2937km and cost $13.5billion (1.17 trillion Ksh). According to the Minister for Privatization in Uganda, Aston Kajara, $11.5billion will cater for the infrastructure and the remaining $2billion resource the rolling stocks. This project will be taken as a block but each state will take up the burden of repayment.

The Cabinet secretary for Roads and Infrastructure in Kenya, Eng. Michael Kamau, said that each member state would commission the undertaking of SGR developments in their country within their stipulated timeline.

“All countries will commit to establish a Railway Development Fund and allot sufficient budgetary allocation to the development of the SGR that is scheduled to be completed by January 2018,” he said.

The Kenyan Government established a Railway Development Fund that comes from a levy of 1.5 percent of the cost of import freights in the current financial year, 2013/2014. In June, the Kenyan Government also allocated KSh.22 billion to commence the construction aimed at improving the turn-round time and reduce significantly the cost of freight from Mombasa to Kisumu, by as much as 79 percent from about Ksh.140, 000 to Ksh.30, 000.

Eng. Kamau said that ground breaking for the construction of the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR is expected in November 2013.

The Mombasa-Kampala-Kigali rail project entails: a 1,185km line from the port of Mombasa to Nairobi linking Malaba and branching to Kisumu; over 1,399km from Malaba to Kampala with four (4) branches to different towns in Uganda which then connects to the main line linking to Rwanda through Mirima Hills; a 200 km line from Mirima Hills to Kigali and an additional 150km rail to other towns in Rwanda. 

The project aims to transfer freight and passengers from roads to rail, reducing road damage and providing safe and rapid inter-city transportation. The SGR will allow freight trains of up to 120 kilometer per hour (km/h) and 180 km/h passenger fleets. 

Initially, the railway line ascended from Mombasa to Kisumu linking cities such as Voi, Taveta, Magadi, Nairobi, Nanyuki, Nakuru, Kitale, Kisumu and Butere. With Kenya’s Vision 2030,launched in 2008, need arose to develop the railway network with the objective of easing movement of passengers, goods and services and as a result, reduce the overall cost of doing business in Kenya. Moreover, the findings from East African Railways Master Plan study (2009) suggested links that would further enhance competitiveness in trade and foster economic development within the East African countries, Kenya being one of them also contributed to advancing railway. 

According to the report, railways should occupy a dominant role in important transport markets which includes: long-distance container markets, medium-distance bulk markets, commuter traffic in major cities and intercity passenger transport in specialized markets; where distance is sufficient to compete with buses or where air transport is too expensive or on luxury-type markets.

Railway under Vision 2030

Towards achieving Vision 2030, another flagship project in infrastructure was establishing commuter rail networks in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa.  In Nairobi County, the project involved the construction of new stations and the expansion of the Nairobi Railway station. In November 13, 2012 the former President, Mwai Kibaki launched the Syokimau Railway Station. Other stations still underway in Nairobi are Makadara and Imara Daima. According to a report by Kenya Vision 2030 on progress by February 2013, the Makadara and Imara stations were at 75% and 50% completion respectively. 

These stations come with ample parking for vehicles and are set to be ‘jam rescuers’ countering traffic jam through the use of trains to commute. Their site is no accident as each station serves different locations linked to the Central Business District (CBD). That is: Imara Daima station targets commuters from Industrial Area, Embakasi and Mombasa Road; Makadara targets commuters from Buru Buru, Jogoo Road, Jerusalem, Jericho, Uhuru and Hamza Estates. There’s set to be a direct link created to connect Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the Syokimau Station. This will be exclusive to the airport users.

On that note, in July, Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) issued a tender notice inviting proposals from qualified consulting firms for consultancy services for design review and construction supervision for the construction/rehabilitation of a railway line between Nairobi Central Railway Station and JKIA and the Supply of Matching Five (5) Diesel Electric Multiple Units.

The month of June was eventful for the Railway Infrastructure. KRC held a Stakeholders meeting on the Mombasa Commuter Rail Services and the development of a modern metropolitan Commuter rail network within Kisumu city. Traffic congestion was recognized as an emerging issue being experienced in the cities on all the major road arteries linking it to adjoining towns and counties mainly due to the growing population and increased freight traffic. Both passenger and freight traffic is anticipated to bump up leading to more traffic congestion and pressure on the roads in the different cities.

To address this, KRC said it has undertaken studies necessary for development of a modern metropolitan Commuter rail network within the cities and with linkages in principal urban centers in the surrounding counties in both coastal and Lake regions. 

The Kisumu County project is to link its adjoining counties of Vihiga to the north, Nandi County to the North East, Kericho County to the East, Nyamira to the south, Kisii County and Homabay County to the South West and Siaya County to the west.The lines shall address two principal areas and may be configured differently or be of different designs in order to meet the specific local needs and infrastructure constraints.

The Standard Gauge Railway

The Standard Gauge Railway network is a solution that arose from the Master Plan study (2009) in which it presented technical, operating, economic and social benefits to the country. 

The technical and operating benefits being: Standard gauge is safer, faster and more reliable, 80 percent of the world uses standard gauge therefore the equipment is easily accessible and cheaper, it has greater carrying capacity and hence is more efficient and cheaper to operate.

The social-economic benefits are even more luring. Talk of: Kenya and the neighboring  countries having a reliable and efficient interstate and intercity railway network for movement of goods and people; movement from road to rail reducing road maintenance cost and increase safety; increased inter-country trade and greater competitiveness in international trade; opening up of frontier areas like Northern Kenya and Southern Sudan; the cost of transport and logistics will initially drop to between 15% and 20% which will support rapid industrialization and sustained economic growth of between 8% and 10%. The expanded and integrated network will promote equitable social and economic development in the region resulting in wealth creation and poverty reduction not forgetting the exploitation of untapped resources and the tourism potential. The railway alignment can be used to lay fibre optic cable to provide comprehensive broad band connectivity in the region. All the above would bolster investment in the country.

Other network elements that the Standard Railway Gauge project involves are: the Nairobi-Moyale line connecting to Addis Ababa; the Rongai-Lodwar line connecting to Juba and the Lamu-Lokichogio link to Juba as well. 

Pressure mounts on RVR

The first railway line known as the ‘iron snake’ in Kenya was put up in1896 from Mombasa by the British government. This infrastructure was meant to link both their colonies of Kenya and Uganda. Given the latter is landlocked; the railway line would ease penetration to the state for reasons of exploitation of resources. It was completed in 1926 and was then known as Uganda Railways but then changed to Kenya-Uganda Railways in 1927. 

Rebranding did not end there. In fact, the series had just begun: it changed to Kenya-Uganda Railways & Harbours in 1948 and later to East African Railways & Harbours in the same year bringing in Tanzania, in 1969, it changed to East African Railways Corporation; by 1978, the three states had split up forming Kenya Railways, Uganda Railways & Tanzania Railways. Rift Valley Railways (RVR) then took over the operations of the Kenya and Uganda Railways on 1st November, 2006. 

Established in October 14, 2005, this body has a 25-year concession for the rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of the railways, which were then run by Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC), and Uganda Railways Corporation (URC). The journey has however not been a smooth one for RVR with the pressure and incompetence claims coming from the two countries.

Eng. Kamau pointed out that both governments (Kenya and Uganda) have not seen the fruits of the concession. He notes that before Kenya Railways handed over to RVR, it was lifting 1.5 million tonnes but RVR is lifting only 900,000 tonnes.

The rail firm built a new railway track in June of 73km between Mombasa and Nairobi at Sh1.7 billion of which the upgrade cuts cargo delivery time between the two counties by six hours. This is in line with efforts to boost performance in the cargo business as rail is expected to be the main cargo carrier.

Currently, the rail firm is seeking KSh1.78 billion from its shareholders to overhaul the Kenya-Uganda decrepit track, repair wagons and locomotives following a threat by the Kenyan government in May to review the concession.