The Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) Engineering Brigade has completed a key section of the Kenyan Railways Corporation meter-gauge network. On June 1, the first freight wagons in 46 years transported 396 tonnes of subsidized “Rail Mavuno” fertilizer on the restored line to the National Cereals and Produce Board depots, reported Kenya Railways. The 780-km line connects the city of Nyahururu northeast of Nairobi with the city of Gilgil, from which trains can travel to Nairobi, where they enter the national network. At Nairobi passengers and cargo will be able to transfer to the new standard gauge railway, which terminates at the port of Mombasa.
The entire project was carried out by domestic organizations.The KDF Engineering Brigade provided direct supervision of the infrastructure works and structural rehabilitation along the corridor, in collaboration with the Nyandarua County Government and local authorities. Local youth and residents carried out the initial bush-clearing and corridor-preparation.
The new line will play a key role in supporting the region’s agricultural sector, by cheaply transporting fertilizer to farmers producing potatoes, carrots, cabbages, peas, horticultural crops, and wheat. The line has already attracted the interest of Kenya’s major industry players in the fertilizer, cement and cement logistics, and dairy sectors. Passenger service will soon begin as well. The rehabilitated line promises to lower transportation costs, stimulate trade and investment, create jobs, and promote tourism and regional integration.
