President William Ruto officially Commissions the Mombasa Commuter Rail Service

Passengers travelling to and from Mombasa via the Madaraka Express Passenger Service train now have a reason to smile. President William Ruto officially commissioned the Mombasa Commuter Rail Service on September 17, 2025.

The Mombasa Commuter Rail Service is a passenger service that will operate between Mombasa Terminus and Mombasa Railway station in Mombasa’ Central Business District with a stop over at the New Miriritni Railway station.

The new service designed to offer a first and last mile connection for Madaraka Express Passenger Service users and residents along the Commuter Rail’s corridor will ease congestion on roads and improve mobility.

Speaking during the launch, President Ruto emphasized the government’s commitment to modernizing urban transport infrastructure to match the growing needs of the population.

“This project reflects our bottom-up agenda by directly improving the lives of ordinary Kenyans. For just 50 shillings, a commuter can now travel quickly, safely, and comfortably between Miritini and the Mombasa CBD”, President Ruto said.

Speaking at the same event, Deputy President, Prof. Kithure Kindiki applauded the development terming it a great milestone. He reiterated the President’s sentiments by assuring those present that the Government remains focused on developing and maintaining transport and infrastructure architecture that will continuously facilitate Kenya’s domestic growth product and accelerate national economic development.

On his part, the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Mr. Davis Chirchir said that during project implementation, Kenya Railways rehabilitated 13.8 kilometres of the pre-existing Metre Gauge Railway line; constructed 2.8 kilometres of Metre Gauge Railway; constructed the Makupa Causeway Railway Bridge; and constructed new stations at Mombasa CBD and Miritini. Two more stations are set to be constructed at Changamwe East and Changamwe West.

“Your Excellency, as we start this service, we have set a promotional fare of Ksh. 50. This has been done with the interests of the substantial section of the population who cannot regularly afford any form of motorized transportation and are thus forced to live in informal shelters near the places of employment in mind. We have also put the interests of the middle class without vehicles in mind while also providing a parking facility at the stations for those who wish to avoid the hassle on the roads”, he said.

The Mombasa Commuter Rail Service comes as a vital solution to transport challenges experienced by many travelers. Before the service came into operation, travelers were exposed to traffic congestion but also came at a cost ranging between Ksh 300 for matatus users and Ksh 1,000 for taxi users, per trip. The newly launched Mombasa Commuter Rail Service now bridges this critical last-mile gap, providing a seamless, safe, and efficient connection from the Mombasa Terminus directly to the city center at a cost of only Ksh 50.

The President was accompanied by H.E Deputy President, Professor Kithure Kindiki, E.G.H, Cabinet Secretary, Roads and Transport, Hon. Davis Chirchir, Principal Secretary, State Department for Transport,  Mr. Mohamed Daghar, Cabinet Secretary Mining and Blue Economy, Hon. Ali Hassan Joho, Mombasa Governor H.E. Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, Senior officers from the State Department, Kenya Railways Chairman, Abdi Bare Duale, Kenya Railways Managing Director, Mr. Philip Mainga, Kenya Railways Board and Senior Management, and Mombasa residents, among others.