Kenya Railways has strengthened its ties with the country’s manufacturing and shipping sectors in a renewed push to boost cargo movement on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
Managing Director Philip Mainga on Thursday hosted Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Chief Executive Officer Tobias Alando and Shippers Council of East Africa (SCEA) CEO Agayo Ogambi for high-level talks focused on deepening collaboration and improving freight efficiency.
The discussions explored new partnership frameworks that will support the three organisations in executing their mandates, particularly in enhancing predictability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness in cargo transportation.
During the meeting, Mr Alando and Mr Ogambi congratulated Kenya Railways after the corporation posted a historic milestone — transporting 695,000 tonnes of cargo in November 2025, the highest monthly tonnage achieved to date. They lauded the SGR freight service for its role in ensuring quick evacuation of containers from Port Reitz to the Inland Container Depots in Nairobi and Naivasha, a development that has helped businesses avoid costly delays.
The two executives also commended Kenya Railways for investing in additional wagons and introducing REEFER wagons used in the transportation of perishable goods. The new fleet has opened up a more affordable alternative to airfreight for value chains dealing in temperature-sensitive products, significantly reducing logistics costs for exporters and manufacturers.
Mr Mainga reaffirmed the corporation’s commitment to providing seamless freight services, saying Kenya Railways will continue enabling manufacturers to move goods efficiently from the Port of Mombasa to key destinations across Kenya and the wider East African region.
“Our partnerships with industry players remain central to our mission,” he said. “We will keep enhancing our capacity to ensure manufacturers and shippers enjoy timely, reliable, and competitive rail services.”
