In early April this year, President William Ruto launched reconstruction works of the Voi-Mwatate-Taveta railway line, which had ceased operations nearly 20 years ago.
The line, which was a crucial corridor linking Kenya to northern Tanzania, fell into disuse due to declining freight and passenger services.
On 10 April, the President announced that the government would spend KSh5.5 billion on the revitalisation and renovation of the Metre Gauge line. Additionally, a dry port will be built in Voi town.
When the works on the renovation of the railway line are complete, it will revive the once-vibrant Mombasa-Voi-Taveta-Moshi-Arusha-Singida-Bujumbura trade route, reducing the distance between Mombasa and Bujumbura by 358km.
The railway will position Voi town as a strategic logistics hub linking the Port of Mombasa and the Taveta-Holili One-Stop Border Post along the Kenya-Tanzania border.
It will also unlock Taita-Taveta County’s mining potential and boost the import and export of agricultural products in the region.
