This archive report was first published on 28 November 2019.
Published on November 28, 2019, data from the Transport ministry shows a significant shift in cargo transport from road to rail. Between August and October, 92,048 containers were hauled via the SGR transport service from the Mombasa port to the Inland Container Depot at Embakasi in Nairobi.
This is compared to 75,119 containers that were transported by road during the same period. The cumulative number of containers moved via SGR in the 10 months to October rose to 239,897, while 316,907 were hauled by road.
The increase in SGR cargo transport could be attributed to a State order that all cargo out of the Mombasa port be moved by the new service. However, the directive was later rescinded following sustained protests by truckers who claimed SGR was killing their businesses and the Mombasa economy.
The Senate Committee on Roads and Transport has summoned Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia to explain the stand-off. Directors general at the Kenya National Highways Authority, Kenya Rural Roads Authority, and the National Transport and Safety Authority have also been summoned.
