The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), once hailed as a game-changer in Kenya’s transport sector has hit a rough patch, with passenger numbers plummeting between August and September 2024.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has revealed that this decline in ridership slashed government revenue by Sh144.2 million in just one month.

According to KNBS data, 281,683 passengers boarded SGR trains in August, but by September, that figure had dropped to 175,901. This sharp decline saw revenue tumble from Sh440.6 million to Sh296.4 million.

"The number of passengers traveling by the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) declined from 281,683 in August 2024 to 175,901 in September 2024, resulting in a corresponding drop in revenue from Sh440.6 million to Sh296.4 million," noted KNBS.

Interestingly, while cargo volumes transported via the SGR also decreased—falling from 582.4 thousand tonnes in August to 512.5 thousand tonnes in September—revenue from freight services defied expectations by inching up to Sh1.2 billion.

Read More

  1. Drive unveiled to link Jua Kali artisans with the Affordable Housing Program
  2. 38 per cent of Kenyans live below poverty line, KNBS report reveals
  3. Ditching China? Kenya now explores UAE option for SGR line extension to Uganda

“The volume of cargo transported via the SGR decreased from 582.4 thousand tonnes to 512.5 thousand tonnes. In contrast, revenue from cargo transport slightly increased to Sh1.2 billion,” KNBS highlighted.

The Metre Gauge Railway (MGR) fared no better in passenger traffic, recording a dip from 240,026 in August to 231,684 in September.

Revenue from MGR passenger services also slid, dropping from Sh13.7 million to Sh12.4 million.

At the Port of Mombasa, cargo activity mirrored the downward trend.

KNBS reported a drop in total cargo handled, which fell from 3.8 million metric tonnes (MT) in October to 3.5 million MT in November.

Export volumes declined from 398.2 thousand MT to 379.6 thousand MT, while imports shrank from 2.8 million MT to 2.5 million MT.

Amid this decline, there were silver linings. Transshipment volumes rose from 567.4 thousand MT to 591.8 thousand MT, and restows climbed from 11.1 thousand MT to 12.4 thousand MT, showcasing some resilience in the port’s operations.

The latest figures from KNBS paint a sobering picture of Kenya’s transport and trade landscape, raising questions about the sustainability of key infrastructure projects and their role in bolstering the economy.