Remarks · 17 September 2025
Excellencies Governors, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
This morning, we gather to launch a service that will significantly transform how people move in and out of our coastal city of Mombasa.
The Mombasa Commuter Rail Service is a timely and vital solution to some of the city’s most pressing challenges. For too long, passengers commuting between the Mombasa central business district and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) terminus at Miritini have endured congestion, delays, and the burden of unreliable road traffic.
With this new service, journeys will be faster, safer, and more predictable. It will cut commuting time between Mombasa town and the SGR terminal, reduce road gridlocks, lower accidents and costs, and provide residents and visitors with a modern, affordable, and reliable travel option.
I am aware that the train will stop at Miritini, Changamwe West, Changamwe East, Shimanzi, Mazeras, and Mombasa CBD. By serving these vital routes, the service will decongest the city, enhance productivity, and make daily commuting easier for thousands of people. That is why today’s commissioning is a landmark occasion for Mombasa, the coastal region, and the entire nation.
Ladies and gentlemen, this event is also of great historical significance. Here at Kilometre Zero, the Kenya-Uganda Railway began nearly 130 years ago. From this very point, the so-called Lunatic Express carried the promise of modernisation, trade, and integration into the interior, reaching Kisumu, then known as Port Florence, in 1901, and Kampala in 1931.
Today, Kilometre Zero once again makes history as the place where modern Kenya’s transport revolution begins anew. For the first time since the commissioning of the SGR in 2017, passengers can start their journey in Mombasa town itself, seamlessly connecting to the Madaraka Express and beyond.
The rehabilitation of the 13.8km metre-gauge railway from Kilometre Zero to Miritini, together with the construction of a new 2.8km link to the SGR, has finally closed a gap that separated city and rail. Today, that gap is closed forever.
This link matters because it provides the much-needed first and last mile connection for commuters, visitors, and tourists. With a daily capacity of up to 4,000 passengers, it will ease pressure on roads and enhance the commuting experience, while making the Madaraka Express more accessible and convenient for all.
Distinguished guests, efficient, safe, and sustainable transport is the backbone of a strong economy. By shifting more passengers from road to rail, we lower maintenance costs, cut emissions, and make our transport safer. We also strengthen Mombasa’s position as a hub for trade and tourism, while reinforcing Kenya’s role as the gateway to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a market of 1.4 billion people.
Let us also remember that rail is not only efficient, but it is also safe. With an average of 2.6 million passengers already using the Madaraka Express each year, this commuter link will boost passenger numbers, improve safety, and save lives by reducing road carnage.
In the bigger picture, this project is part of our government’s ambitious strategy to expand Kenya’s rail network from Naivasha to Malaba through Kisumu, and across the Lamu Port-South SudanEthiopia Transport corridor. The ultimate goal is clear - a Kenya and Africa seamlessly connected by safe, efficient, and sustainable rail.
Ladies and gentlemen, the commissioning of the Mombasa Commuter Rail Service is more than a local convenience. It is a symbol of our past, a solution for the present, and a promise for the future. With this service, Kilometre Zero once again becomes the epicentre of Kenya’s journey, not just the starting point of our history but the launchpad of our modern economic destiny.
And with those remarks, I am proud to declare the Mombasa Commuter Rail Service open for operations. I thank you.