Kenya Railways has dismissed claims that its staff were hoarding train tickets with intentions of selling them at a higher price than what is on sale.
This comes at a time when Kenyans are set to travel using the Madaraka Express during the Easter holiday.
Concerns had been raised online after a social media user accused staff of holding back tickets and later selling them to the highest bidders. The user claimed this could make it harder for ordinary passengers to access the service during peak travel times.
“I just hope your staff will not start hoarding the service the way they do with tickets that are eventually sold to the highest bidders. Dishonesty is very much alive in your ticketing office/system,” the user wrote.
But Kenya Railways has denied the claims, insisting that its ticketing system is fully digital and designed to ensure fairness.
“The claims made are not accurate. Tickets are sold through a structured digital system designed to ensure fairness and transparency,” the corporation said.
According to the agency, passengers can book tickets through different channels. These include the official Madaraka Express website, mobile phones by dialling *639#, or by visiting any SGR station.
The bookings can be made up to 60 days in advance, and this will give the customers enough time to plan their trips, especially during the Easter holiday.
The customers who make the bookings either online or through their phones will receive a message confirming the tickets. However, they are expected to print the tickets before boarding the train. The customers who buy the tickets at the station will be required to pay either in cash or card. The customers who make the bookings online will pay through the mobile money services.
The customers will be required to produce an ID such as the national ID or passport before they board the train.
The Madaraka Express travels to Mombasa and Nairobi. The train has several stops in various towns such as Voi, Emali, and Mtito Andei. The customers will be able to take the inter-county service and be able to board and alight at any station along the way.
The prices remain the same during the holiday. The economy class costs KSh1,500. The first class and premium class tickets cost KSh4,500 and KSh12,000 respectively. The children are required to pay half the price of the tickets if they are between the ages of three and eleven years are required to pay half of the ticket price, while those less than three years travel for free.
Kenya Railways has asked passengers to plan well to avoid a last-minute rush, as the number of customers is expected to increase