Editor's Review

  • Authorities have not clarified the bag's contents. 
  • This comes as KRC prepares to take over SGR management. 

There was panic on Sunday after a Standard Gauge Railway train stopped midway over a mysterious bag left on the tracks.

Following the incident, the train services were suspended for at least an hour as authorities moved to clear the bag at the Miasenyi area.

The incident was confirmed by Coast Regional Commissioner John Elungata.

Although Elungata did not divulge more into the bag's content, he noted that it had been left near a railway bridge on Sunday, March 21.

"We wanted to establish the contents of the bag that had been dropped at the foot of the railway bridge at Miasenyi," stated Elungata.

The train was headed to Mombasa from Nairobi when the incident occurred.

Following the disruption, passengers who were supposed to leave Mombasa at 3 pm had to delay until 4 pm. 

Matters had quickly escalated on the train as passengers became frustrated with the train's management failing to offer an immediate explanation for the stop. 

The train, which usually has a capacity of about 960 passengers, usually has police officers stationed in various wagons to ensure law and order. 

This is the second time a Kenya Railway train has stalled midway. Last year, while ferrying passengers to Nanyuki from Nairobi, a train stopped over mechanical issues.  

The development comes as the Kenya Railway corporation prepares to take over the SGR management from the Chinese firm. 

According to Kenya Railways Chairman Omudho Awitta, the corporation has already assumed ticketing, security, and fuelling SGR functions.