Mwadime says Voi-Mwatate-Taveta railway line to be revived

The revival of the collapsed Voi-Mwatate-Taveta railway line will start in six months, Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime said on Monday.

The 127-kilometre railway line linking the Port of Mombasa and northern Tanzania collapsed 25 years ago following trade wars between the two countries.

Mwadime disclosed that he had held negotiations with the management of Kenya Railway (KR) and agreed that the rehabilitation works will commence in the next six months.

“We held successful negotiations with the management of the KR. We agreed that the contractor will be on the site in the next six months,” Mwadime said.

Speaking during a thanksgiving mass for disciplined service officers at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Voi town, the Governor said Kenya Railways will also establish transport yards in Voi and Taveta towns.

Mwadime said the Kenya Ports Authority had acquired a 50-acre plot at Taveta border town to build an inland freight hub to decongest the Port of Mombasa.

“The project will reduce the distance from Mombasa to Burundi via the Northern Corridor by 358 kilometres,” he said.

Other projects to be implemented include an inland container depot (ICD) in Voi town, he said.

The governor spoke amid optimism among exporters of an increase in the volume of trade once the project is complete.

Mwadime said Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has acquired a 50-acre plot at Taveta border town to build the inland freight hub to decongest the Port of Mombasa.

“Port facilities will be brought closer to importers and exporters, and the project will reduce the distance from Mombasa to Burundi via the Northern Corridor by 358 kilometres,” he said.

The governor noted that the railway line will connect the Taveta ICD with the Port of Mombasa, boosting the volumes of transit cargo to Tanzania and Burundi.

Mwadime was optimistic that the project, once complete, will ensure efficient trade through the Taveta/Holili One-Stop Border Post.

The disused railway line, which was crucial for the survival of small-scale business, was built in 1924 by the British government during World War I and stopped operations in 2000.

According to the KR master plan, the metre-gauge line has been rehabilitated; it will be linked to the standard gauge railway at Voi Railway Station.

Mwadime said the metre-gauge railway line will also boost tourism in Taita Taveta.

Further, the governor called on the national government to speed up the rehabilitation of the once neglected railway line and the Ikanga Airstrip in Voi town to boost the local economy.

“Voi town is an ideal regional investment corridor, and the stopover of the passenger train has further opened the county for more investment opportunities and created wealth to combat poverty and unemployment,” he said.

Mwadime said apart from tourism, mining activities and small-scale businesses will also thrive to help improve the socio-economic status of the local community.

“We are looking forward to business and trade investment opportunities being created to make a difference in the lives of the local community,” said the governor.

He said the county is among devolved units along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway with increased passenger and freight services, which will help raise the standards of the coastal people to improve their lives.

“Railway transport was cheap and reliable compared to expensive road transport. The cross-border trade will now progress, and business will continue to grow in the region and the entire coastal region at large,” he said.

“The revival of the train services will be a cheaper means of transport. It will play a big role in improving the socio-economic status of the local community. The services are to the local community,” said Humphrey Mcharo, a Wundanyi-based trader.