How the 'Lunatic Express' became the Madaraka Express: Kenya's rail journey

The railway transport sector has come a long way. Railways were introduced in England in the seventeenth century as a way to reduce friction in moving heavily loaded wheeled vehicles.

In East Africa, the metre-gauge railway (Kenya-Uganda Railway) was built by British colonialists between 1896 and 1901, starting in the port city of Mombasa on the coast of the Indian Ocean and extending northwest to stop at Port Florence, now Kisumu, on the shores of Lake Victoria.

To understand the birth of the railway, it’s necessary to mention the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885. During the conference, Britain and other Western powers discussed rules for colonising and partitioning Africa, such as “effective occupation.”

To tighten control over “British East Africa,” the British government laid a railway to control the entire Nile River basin originating from Lake Victoria.

However, the project earned much resentment in the British Parliament and media, as its estimated cost of £5 million was deemed exorbitant.

Most importantly, supporting the Uganda Railway was a strategic decision taken by the British government to expand British domination in the area. Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile, was vital for British interests in Egypt. The British planned its construction through Kenya to take control of Lake Victoria. The railway also facilitated missionary activities in the interior of East Africa.

The railway dubbed the “Iron Snake” or “Lunatic Express” was built by Indian coolies with simple tools. Supplies such as construction materials and fresh water had to be transported from elsewhere. Man-eating lions wandering in the savanna, tropical diseases like malaria, and attacks by locals resisting the “Iron Snake” invasion all became the “Death Reaper,” as they claimed the “Iron Snake” would someday cross their land and be a bad omen, creating trouble as it went.

Landforms, such as mountains, hills and rocky terrains in many African territories, were another major challenge encountered by the various European administrators in constructing roads and railways in the various colonies.

The rocky terrains of some colonies made construction work very difficult and quite challenging.

From the Lunatic Express to the Madaraka Express, the colonial past represented by the old railway is gradually fading away. A bright future is emerging because of the new railway. Since the commencement of passenger services in June 2017 and the launch of freight operations in January 2018, Afristar, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR operator), has transported over 15.16 million passengers and moved over 39.78 million tonnes of cargo via freight services as of April 2025.

The operator has also reduced road congestion and carbon emissions along the Mombasa–Nairobi corridor, achieving over 2,892 consecutive days of safe operations.

This has also led to seamless integration of freight services with Mombasa Port and inland container depots in Nairobi and Naivasha, leading to port decongestion and smoother logistics. Additionally, the convenience and efficiency of the SGR have stimulated business growth along the corridor. Entrepreneurs can now travel, conduct business, and return within the same day.

The reduced cost and time of doing business, especially with the decongestion of the Port of Mombasa (Port Reitz), underscore the broader socio-economic benefits of the railway.

Afristar’s human capital strategy has focused on localisation, which currently stands at more than 90 per cent. The company established a structured Skills Transfer Programme in partnership with China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), which includes on-the-job training, classroom instruction, and overseas exchanges.

Over 2,000 Kenyan staff have received specialised training in rail operations, signalling, dispatching, and maintenance. The successful transition of critical roles from Chinese to Kenyan personnel in areas such as train control and maintenance supervision demonstrates that Afristar has met most of its localisation targets.

Achieving synergy among diverse stakeholders in a national infrastructure project is inherently complex.

This includes regular joint review meetings, timely submission of operational data, joint inspections along the railway infrastructure, and responsiveness to customer feedback.

As the  SGR operations mark the 8th anniversary on May 31, it is imperative to acknowledge stakeholders such as local governments, logistics firms, and security agencies that have been supportive, contributing to smooth operations across stations and the freight corridor.

- The author is a communications practitioner in the railway transport sector