The inauguration journey started earlier in the morning at the Mombasa Terminus in Miritini. The President rode on the inaugural train and stopped at several stations in seven different counties to open new stations and address Kenyans who gathered to celebrate the modern railway service.
The Sh320 billion project started in 2013 when President Uhuru Kenyatta was joined by other Heads of States from East Africa to break ground for the SGR.
When he spoke at the Nairobi Terminus tonight, President Kenyatta said the new train heralds a new era for Kenya as the modern system will make transportation, one of the biggest contributors to the cost of goods in Kenya, cheaper.
It will cost a passenger only Sh700 to travel between Nairobi and Mombasa while it will cost a maximum of Sh50,000 to transport a container between the two cities.
“Today will be marked as a great day in the history of our Republic. This inaugural journey on our new Madaraka Express marks a transformative moment for Kenya, and for Africa,” said President Kenyatta when he addressed the inauguration ceremony.
He said Kenya has entered a new era of transformation with the launch of the Madaraka Express.
“Change is here. Already, the Madaraka Express has employed tens of thousands of Kenyans, it has stimulated our economy and built wealth here at home,” said the President who was accompanied by the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto as well as dignitaries including a Chinese delegation led by a special envoy of President Xi Jinping, state councillor Wang Yong.
He said the SGR is expected to have a huge impact on Kenya including the creation and expansion of towns along its route. He said the new train will also be creating vibrancy in the already existing towns.
“Large and vibrant towns will grow along its length, new factories and hotels, and service businesses will employ hundreds of thousands of young people. Farmers will earn more as their produce makes its way to buyers faster and cheaper,” said President Kenyatta.
He said the train will create more jobs through promotion of tourism and the creation of industrial parks and special economic zones along its path.
The creation of inland container depots will also create more business and increase the efficiency of the port of Mombasa.
“This is also a great day for our region and Africa. For over a century, Africans who gave birth to, and sustained a Pan-African dream of unity, have sought the free movement of African people and their goods,” said the President.
He said the train is one of the most important continental projects and is set to move beyond Nairobi, to Kisumu, and the Ugandan border.
He added that it will be connected to new and world-class infrastructure to reach Ethiopia and other parts of the region.
“We Kenyans will prosper alongside our neighbours, and peace and stability will be one of the fruits we shall reap together,” said the President.
President Kenyatta promised that the Jubilee Government will continue with its transformational agenda to make Kenya a country with shared prosperity.
“This is only the beginning of the great achievements that we shall record together,” said the President.
The Deputy President said the SGR is a milestone that will transform Kenya and which Kenyans have been waiting for many years.
“This is a special event for all of us because today we give ourselves a brand new and modern railway,” said the Deputy President.
He said the new railway has the ability to power the economy of the country to new heights.
“It is enough reason for us to celebrate,” said the DP.
It will take passengers four and half hours to travel between Nairobi and Mombasa instead of the nine to ten hours it takes by bus. Cargo will also be moved at a cheaper rate and a faster speed.
The SGR project is Kenya’s biggest infrastructure project since independence and has been delivered 18 months ahead of schedule.