This archive report was first published on 6 January 2022.
On January 5th, 2022, Kenya Railways embarked on a historic journey, transporting 31 full 40 ft containers of locally grown black tea from Nairobi to Mombasa via the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
The tea, which was loaded at Nairobi Freight Terminal (NFT), made a momentary stop at Kibwezi Station to allow for a passenger train to pass through before arriving in Mombasa before dawn on January 6th, 2022.
According to Kenya Railways, this achievement marks a significant milestone in the country's transportation history, as it paves the way for reduced transport costs and increased efficiency in the tea export process.
… Nairobi Freight Terminal (NFT) and started it's journey yesterday, 5th January 2022, at Nairobi Terminus, making a momentary stop at Kibwezi Station to pave way for the passenger train and arrived in Mombasa before the crack of dawn this morning, 06th January 2022 #KRFreight https://t.co/kF5PFdhBMu — Kenya Railways (@KenyaRailways_) January 6, 2022
As announced by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya in September last year, this move aims to reduce transport costs by considering the quantity of tea needed in the auction, thereby cutting on warehousing costs.
