CS Murkomen receives 50 new wagons for SGR freight services

Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that the State has received 50 new wagons to facilitate the operations of the Madaraka Express freight service.

Murkomen on Monday said the new wagons are a key milestone for Kenya and the region as the Ministry seeks to improve rail services and efficiency.

"A second shipment of 250 wagons was loaded at the Tianjin Port in China in late January and is expected to arrive this month," the CS said. 

Murkomen said for Kenya to remain competitive, the country must continue to improve its transport infrastructure.

He said the Ministry will, therefore, ensure there is necessary human capital, operational assets and information systems for achieving these goals.

"The new wagons are part of our strategic response to market dynamics, and the need to meet the ever-changing customer demands and gain a competitive edge," he said. 

He noted that this is the first time new wagons have been added since the launch of SGR in May 2017.

Murkomen said 20 of the wagons procured will also have power plugins to enable the movement of refrigerated containers, a hitherto untapped business potential for SGR.

"The refrigerated wagons will be a big boost to our horticultural sector. We will be able to respond to the preferences of customers from around the world," he said.