Railway line to be built from JKIA

The hurried attempts by air travellers to get to the airport on time to board flights amid huge traffic jams on Mombasa road could ease when plans by the Government to construct a new two-kilometre railway line linking Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and a railway station in Embakasi are complete.

The project to cost Sh800 million, is expected to take eight months to complete and will also see passenger coaches added on the railroad to ease traffic on Mombasa road.

“Within the next eight months, there will be great relief on roads when we link JKIA with Embakasi and then city centre,” Transport permanent secretary, Cyrus Njiru, told reporters in Nairobi on Wednesday. “This is part of the government’s traffic management policy.”

The Kenya Railways Corporation’s city trains currently carry about 19,000 commuters daily on 41 carriages.

Other railroads earmarked for passenger coaches include the one to Ruiru, Dagoretti and Ongata Rongai, said the PS.

Leaving public transport to private investors has failed to make the sector effective, Dr Njiru said.

“We decided to make it open market where there is free entry and free exit but this has not worked,” he said.

He added that the government’s Integrated National Transport Policy, which was recently approved by the Cabinet and awaits debate in Parliament, will guide investment in transport.

Meanwhile, Transport minister Amos Kimunya, told Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya’s economic management symposium that the ministry has started computerising most of its system.

“We are soon rolling out digital systems that will link a particular motor vehicle to its owner, operator, licences, driver, tout, route, past offences, court fines, mechanical condition and location of vehicle,” he said.