KENYA RAILWAYS HOSTS CHINA AMBASSADOR FOR INVESTMENT TALKS ABOARD MADARAKA EXPRESS
By Bruno Aero/Business Reporter
NAIROBI/NAIVASHA, KENYA — Kenya Railways Managing Director Philip Mainga today hosted the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Kenya, H.E. Guo Haiyan, and other key stakeholders for an investment engagement aboard the Madaraka Express Passenger Service train from Nairobi to the Naivasha Inland Container Depot.
The meeting focused on opportunities for factories and industries in the region to leverage the Madaraka Express Freight Service to transport cargo efficiently to and from the Port of Mombasa.
As part of the engagement, the delegation toured Vertical Agro Limited, an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) facility in Naivasha specialising in the processing of fruits and vegetables for international markets.
Vertical Agro Limited was the first company to utilise Kenya Railways’ reefer wagon service under the zero-tariff China export programme. Its cargo was transported from the Inland Container Depot in Embakasi and flagged off at the Nairobi Terminus in March 2026.
The reefer service uses power-enabled wagons to transport refrigerated containers and temperature-sensitive cargo by rail. Kenya Railways says continued use of the service will provide exporters such as Vertical Agro Limited with reliable and affordable transportation, shorter transit times and potential reductions in carbon emissions.
The investment meeting brought together senior government officials, diplomats, development and policy stakeholders, as well as private-sector representatives, including H.E. Amb. Jane Makori, Deputy Director General, Asia and Pacific Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Affairs; H.E. Amb. Leon Francois Yandouma, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo to Kenya; H.E. Dr. Bernard Yohana Kibesse, High Commissioner of Tanzania to Kenya; H.E. Amb. Janel Ibrahim, Ambassador of Somalia to Kenya; Prof. Peter Kagwanja, President and CEO of the Africa Policy Institute; representatives of the United Nations and China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), among other stakeholders.
The engagement underscores the role of rail freight in connecting Kenyan industries and exporters to regional and international markets, while strengthening trade and investment links between Kenya and China.
