Rehabilitation of Kenya’s Voi-Taveta metre gauge railway is progressing with work on key project components reaching 40% as the country moves to strengthen freight links between the Port of Mombasa and the Tanzanian border.
In an update on October 13, Kenya Railways said progress is driven largely by work on the track foundation and cross-drainage structures along a 120km stretch. Managing Director of Kenya Railways, Philip Mainga, inspected the works, which include renovations to stations at Voi, Mwatate, Bura, Maktau and Taveta.
The line branches off the Mombasa-Nairobi metre gauge railway at Voi and runs towards Taveta near the Kenya-Tanzania border. Its restoration intends to improve the movement of goods and passengers along the corridor and support cross-border trade.
President William Ruto launched the KSh5.5 billion rehabilitation initiative in April. The plans include a dry port at Voi, which he said will position the town as a logistics hub linking the Port of Mombasa with the Taveta-Holili one-stop border post.
The project will support agricultural imports and exports, including sisal and maize, and help develop Taita-Taveta County’s mining potential, Ruto said.
Kenya Railways’ 2023-2027 strategic plan identifies the Voi-Taveta branch as a potential alternative route for transit freight from Mombasa destined for Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo via Moshi and Tanzania’s Central Corridor. The plan also provides for cargo-handling facilities at Taveta and transshipment facilities at Voi.
