MOMBASA, KENYA: Visiting Congo Brazaville Minister for Territorial Development and Large Public Works , Mr Jean Jacques Bouya has commended the Kenya government for completing the modern Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) phase one linking the Port city of Mombasa and the capital, Nairobi.
The visiting minister rode on the SGR passenger train from Nairobi to Mombasa arriving at the Mombasa Terminal at 1.45 pm on Sunday.
''We are delighted at the new service and hope that it shall help join Kenyan and the neighbouring countries in the region as we seek to bolster trade,'' he said.
On hand to receive and show him around the SGR installations were Principal Secretary in the Transport Ministry, Prof Paul Maringa , Kenya Railways Managing Director, Atanas Maina and senior officials from the China Road & Bridges Corporation (CRBC) .
''The visiting Minister and his delegation are keen to see the Kenyan SGR whose first phase is complete connect East Africa through Mombasa Port under the one belt road initiative,'' Maina said.
Railway planners in Africa are keen to have a direct rail link from the Port of Mombasa on the Indian Ocean join another similar one to be developed in countries of Central Africa, the Congos to terminate at Pointe Noire on the Atlantic Coast.
In Mombasa, the visiting minister toured the Port of Mombasa where he was met by Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing director, Ms Catherine Mturi- Wairi.
While the SGR passenger train has been recording impressive passenger loads between Mombasa and Nairobi since its inception on June 1st 2017, the freight service is trying to break even as cargo transporters still opt for road transportation.
The first commercial train ferrying cargo on the SGR train from Mombasa arrived in Nairobi's ultra modern Inland Container Depot on January 1st 2018.
Currently there are 3 daily trains leaving Mombasa hauling cargo to Nairobi with an additional fourth freight train expected to be added by the end of this month.
