This archive report was first published on 9 May 2020.
On May 9, 2020, Kenya launched a direct cargo freight service from Mombasa to the Naivasha inland container depot, marking a significant boost to the movement of goods in the region.
The service, which was launched by Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, will see all cargo destined for neighboring countries loaded onto the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and moved directly from Mombasa to the Naivasha ICD, where transporters will pick it for onward delivery.
The Naivasha ICD has a capacity to hold two million tonnes annually and is intended to reduce congestion at the Nairobi ICD and Mombasa port, cut the number of trucks on the roads, and facilitate seamless trans-shipment of goods to neighboring countries.
Kenya Railways managing director Phillip Mainga said the service has started with two daily trains hauling up to 108 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and a minimum of 70 TEUs.
The commencement of operations at the Naivasha ICD comes at a time when Kenya is investing $30 million to rehabilitate the colonial-era meter gauge railway line from Nairobi to Nanyuki to spur economic activities in the agricultural-rich central region of the country.
Kenyan cross-border truck drivers were from last week required to obtain a certificate from the Ministry of Health confirming they are Covid-19 free after Uganda and Rwanda accused them of being the weak link in their fight against the deadly virus.
