According to a report by the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC), the SGR operator moved 543,944 tonnes of cargo in July, marking the highest registered volumes of cargo moved via SGR.
“During the month, 267 trains from Mombasa moved 22, 394 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) on imports and 319,906 tonnes of conventional cargo of various products that include wheat, clinker, rice, sugar and steel for delivery to the two Inland Container Depots at Nairobi and Naivasha,” the statement said.
The month has also registered an improvement in the SGR cargo off-take from the Port of Mombasa, KRC said in an update.
“This is a huge improvement compared to the same period last year, when 175 trains moved 19,346 TEUs and 258,589 tonnes of conventional cargo.”
KRC said the sustained performance was achieved due to close working relationships with government agencies, including Kenya Ports Authority and Kenya Revenue Authority.
“Joint marketing on local and transit markets has been sustained, with the recent visit by key stakeholders from DRC, to Mombasa port and the two Inland Container Depots with impressive interaction feedback,” KRC Managing Director Philip Mainga.
The growth in tonnage has increased from 4,009,703 in the 2018-19 financial year to 5,666,375 in the 2021-22 financial year.
President Ruto Revokes Activity at Naivasha SGR
This comes amidst recent plans announced by president William Ruto to revert port activities to Mombasa from the Naivasha SGR, citing it was built to benefit a few individuals.
In December 2019, former President Uhuru Kenyatta flagged off a cargo train from Nairobi to Naivasha, marking the start of operations at the Naivasha inland container depot.
In March 2019, the Kenya Ports Authority issued a directive that all cargo destined for Nairobi would have to be ferried on the SGR
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