Kenya Railways adds train to Mwiki after matatus boycott route

Kenya Railways has added a train which will operate on the Nairobi-Mwiki route following a matatu strike.

The train started operations on Monday, when matatu drivers went on strike protesting against the poor state of the road.

Kenya Railways Management said stranded commuters had to troop to the Nairobi Central Railway station in search of alternative means to go home.

The corporation also added an extra trip on Tuesday morning to cater for stranded commuters as the matatu strike enters day two.

Kenya Railways managing director Philip Mainga said the corporation will continue running the extra morning trip along the route until normal operations resume.

The corporation operates a daily round trip along the Nairobi Central station route with stopovers at Githurai, Mwiki, Kahawa West and Ruiru.

Apart from the Mwiki route, other routes under the Nairobi rail service include Kikuyu via Gatwekera, Kibera, Satelite, Lenana, Mutuini, Dagoreti station, Dagoreti Market, Thogoto and  Gitaru.

Other routes are Embakasi via Donholm, Avenue Park, Pipeline, Taj Mall, Aviation and Syokimau via Makadara and Imara Daima.

Large potholes filled with rainwater fill the two-kilometre stretch from Hunters to Mwiki in Kasarani subcounty. 

On Monday, tired of regular breakdowns from the pathetic road, matatu operators blocked all the routes leading to Thika Superhighway. 

Residents were forced to brace the morning rain as they walked long distances to Roysambu where they boarded matatus from other areas.

 The Kasarani-Mwiki road's condition has been the cause of many protests since the days of the defunct city council administration.