Come and enjoy our ride: Kenya Railways tells MPs after Wetangula’s order

Kenya Railways Managing Director Philip Mainga has said that the corporation is ready to work with the national assembly in order to help MPs travel to Mombasa for the 14th edition of the East African Community Inter-Parliamentary games.

The MD has also encouraged the MPs to consider booking tickets for the special VIP coaches that were unveiled last month.
“ We welcome the move by the speaker and we are looking forward to working with our MPs whom we are encouraging to come and experience our services.

The MD said it is good for Kenyan leaders to travel together with Kenyans and further encouraged them to tag along with their families to experience the SGR services.

Mainga made this announcement a day after National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula ordered the legislators travelling for the games to use the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, November 20, Wetang’ula said the move was aimed at cutting travel costs as directed by President William Ruto.

“I did direct, and I want to repeat …as much as we possibly can on cost-cutting measures…you will, including myself, travel to Mombasa by SGR.

“So you will organise with the clerk’s office and table office…who will assist you to indicate when you want to travel. You will all go by SGR, including yours truly, to cut down on costs so that we can be able to facilitate as many of you as possible to come to Mombasa and participate in the games,” Wetang’ula ordered.

In October 2023, President William Ruto ordered the three arms of government, the legislature, judiciary and executive, to slash their travel expenses by 50%.

Kenya Railways has recently made positive strides with the new premium trains which are charging Ksh12, 000 between Nairobi and Mombasa.

The family friendly coaches are also convenient to social traveling groups for the holidaying season and it is evident that they are already taking advantage of it.

Some of the attractive features being celebrated is the new wagon for the Ksh1, 500 economy class.

Traveling groups and families can take advantage of charging ports for each passenger baby-changing areas to help mothers freshen up their babies, foldout ray tables for freshening up babies during the journey; foldout tray tables and pocket seats for placing small items.

Then there is the soothing seating arrangement where one row of seats faces the ultimate destination while the other faces the departing destination.
KR has 92 class locomotives each with a coach having the special features.
With over 3000 delegates expected in Mombasa for the games is staging itself to reap more from the expected traffic.
The MD has also called on participants from the neighbouring countries to consider using the SGR once they land in Nairobi