Kenya plans to spend 32 billion shillings (US$297.2 million) through the national treasury’s 2021-22 budget in 2022 to upgrade its rail network because the country hopes to attract more passengers and freight to the railroad.

The Kenya Construction Report stated that Sh27.2 billion had been allocated to the Nairobi-Naivasha Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the remaining funds were used to upgrade the country's Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) network.

This includes 2 billion shillings for the line from Longonot to Naivasha Inland Container Depot (ICD), which connects the Nairobi – Naivasha SGR and the meter network, and the restoration of the Longonot – Malaba line. Another 700m shillings has been allocated for the restoration of the Nakuru-Kisumu MGR line. These two projects will support freight and passenger services from Nairobi to western Kenya. At present, freight trains transfer to roads at Naivasha ICD.

Kenya Railways is refurbishing 31 locomotives to increase capacity in preparation for the operation of the Longonot-Malabar MGR section and the Nakuru-Kisumu MGR branch line. This includes the repair of 9 locomotives, and another 22 are undergoing major repairs in cooperation with the railway and the Kenya Defense Forces.

The Nairobi commuter network will also benefit from funds in the budget. The government will spend 450 million shillings in 2021-22 to build a new line between the Embakasi SGR station in Nairobi and Ruai to serve more commuters and strengthen service delivery. Editor/Xu Shengpeng