The government through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure is set to import 11 second-hand commuter trains from Spain at a cost of Sh10 billion.
The Sunday Nation reports that some of the used trains are as old as 25 years.
The newspaper says that each of the low-capacity diesel commuter trains will cost between Sh71 million and Sh137 million in a deal that has already received Cabinet approval.
The trains will arrive in the country from June 2019 alongside the BRT buses.
The deal for the purchase of the trains was struck in Barcelona in September 2018 by a team of 11 officials from Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) and the World Bank.
Also present were Principal Secretaries Charles Hinga and Esther Koimmet.
The locomotives were manufactured by Spain’s Construcciones and Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) between 1994 and 2003.
Four of the trains are said to be in good condition while the rest require repair.
The locomotives are only able to pull three coaches, each carrying 128 seated and 130 standing passengers at full capacity.
Watch out, these marginal…
Watch out, these marginal European countries have very different business model and ethics. We could end up buying another person’s problems. Why had Spain not repaired trains for her own use? This is like buying your first car from a junkyard. Certainly we have no engineers/ or parts to repair these things, so we will hire them in a few weeks or months when the junks fail to start? what a waste in the name of saving for a mitumba. If there is an age limit of 8 years to used vehicles coming in Kenya, why do we want to accept more that 15 years (and 24 years) old wagons? World bank or not I think Kenya is being taken for a bumpy ride here. We are of age “pride of Africa” and should afford (even fewer) new trains.
Are we becoming a minimal…
Are we becoming a minimal Nation?
‘Four of the trains are said…
‘Four of the trains are said to be in good condition while the rest require repair.” At what cost to the tax payers??
@XG, this is a scandal. …
@XG, this is a scandal. Most likely you can not get spare parts for those trains that need repair. They will end up in a junk yard.
Same old story.
Used…
Same old story.
Used helicopters that will never fly,
Patrol boat from Spain that swallowed billions and never commissioned.
Used jet fighters from Jordan,
Used trains from Spain?
Common factor, a lot of MONEY changed hands.
This deal stinks to high heaven!
what’s the matter with…
what’s the matter with African governments, why do we allow ourselves to be the dumping ground of the western obsolete technology? will we ever develop really?
Kenya has been a dumping…
Kenya has been a dumping ground for absolute products for a long time. I remember at one time Kenya got swindled billions of shillings by a French company who sold it ash as fertilizer. As long as Kenyan leaders don’t think they will always be entities willing to take advantage of them(As President Kibaki rightly branded them, we have a lot of idiots and dumb “Mavi ya kuku” leaders in Kenya)
At first I thought Trump was…
At first I thought Trump was just being crazy , now you can hear it from the horses mouth . . . Kenya is a real a.. h..e
hehehehe again i will wait…
hehehehe again i will wait to see this trains then comment juu this story imeanza kupandisha watu sukari?Who is such a big fool to import used trains for 10billion while our chinese could have given new ones???This same pple wataandika we used b sold used brt buses???Am very sure the trains r new otherwise this cs will b thrown to lake victoria with their families wakuliwe na crocodiles.
10 billion really. This is…
10 billion really. This is just sad. So so sad.
If the old cost 10 Billion,…
If the old cost 10 Billion, meaning the new ones can cost 100 Billion. That’s why African countries goes for mitumba’s… though cheap is expensive.
This is a big joke of the…
This is a big joke of the year. Better we buy one new than the 11 second hand. Remember cheap is expensive
Why not negotiate from India…
Why not negotiate from India or South Africa for newer or new locomotives and save our dear tax payers hazards and wastage. Better still give us dignified health care and social subsidies/services for those living in poverty, create employment, etc, to reduce suffering and security burden to citizens. Then the ride on the train will make even more sense.
Why , can this so called…
Why , can this so called government give us common mwanainchi something new for once, no wonder why white pepo treat us as second class because even our own stupid government believe we are, I wonder if they were sent there to buy a used one or they just pocketed the difference
Yes. According to the West,…
Yes. According to the West, Africa is made of shit-hole countries,grave yard, and dumping ground for junk trains, dead people’s clothes, Chinese jail birds (their useless people), stale fish, sugar with mercury, expired medicine and equipment; any and every foreign language, any and every foreign name. Who are we? Every government official is bribed to bring in trash to our country and to steal from his own people; each and every judge is bribed to bring injustice to our country and rule against his own people. Kenyans wake up. God save Kenya and Africa!!
This takes the reference…
This takes the reference that ‘Africa is a cemetery’ by Putin to another level. Dumping trains on us now????
What does the picture of…
What does the picture of Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) has to do with this?
MTA ha ha hahaha
MTA ha ha hahaha
Did they even bother to shop…
Did they even bother to shop around for new trains? Just did a simple google search and found brand new trains at less than half the price. Why do we elect such lazy and corrupt politicians?
Msisahau ya kwamba viongozi…
Msisahau ya kwamba viongozi hawa wa KANU/Jubilee ni matunda ya Toroitich! Ndiyo sababu kubwa sana Kenya inahitaji utawala mpya kabisa 2022.
The math doesn’t add up…
The math doesn’t add up. Each of the trains will cost between 71 million and 134 million. 10 x 134 million = 1.34 billion. Where’s the rest 8.66 billion going to?
Pathetic government by…
Pathetic government by corrupt politicians. A twenty five year old locomotive????? Who are these genius players in this con game. If I have to buy a twenty five years vehicle my answer would be no thank you. Just the cost of repairs will be astronomical in the long run. I bet you they were taken to the junk yard for this old junk.