RVR services disrupted by rail vandalism

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 17 – Thousands of passengers were left stranded on Friday evening when Rift Valley Railways (RVR) cancelled the commuter services from Nairobi to Ruiru while the service from Nairobi to Kahawa terminated at Dandora.

This was as a result of vandalism of the railway line between Dandora and Kahawa sections.

Commenting on the incident, RVR Group Chief Executive Officer, Brown Ondego said that RVR cancelled the evening commuter services to ensure the safety of passengers.

“The RVR team conducting daily maintenance and inspection checks discovered that a section of the railway clips between Dandora and Kahawa had been vandalised and this led to RVR cancelling the commuter service yesterday evening to safeguard the safety of our passengers.”

Ondego decried the theft and vandalism of railway materials which affects the movement of bulk cargo, therefore, impacting negatively on the economy. He also urged the members of the public to continue to be vigilant and report such cases to the authorities.

This incident comes in the wake of President Kibaki expressing his concern over the increasing rate of vandalism of road signs and guardrails which compromises the safety of motorists and road users.