It was shock as it emerged that the Kenyan government was planning to hire cartels to preside over the newly conceived multi-billion train system.
The company, Construccion y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles SA (CAF), was accused of forming a cartel with 15 others to fix prices for public train contracts across central and southern Brazil, as reported by Reuters.
The alleged price-fixing involved bids for 15 contracts worth Ksh400 billion for subways and urban railway lines built in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia and Porto Alegre.
In a detailed statement published in the local dailies in February, Kenya Railways stated that CAF would be tasked with providing maintenance and spare parts for the 11 used diesel engines that the government plans to buy as well training its staff.
Kenya Railways consultant, Mucemi Gakuru, told Business Daily that “They are the manufacturers of the equipment that we had gone to inspect. We had gone to see them and look for their capacity and their willingness to continue providing spare parts.”
The Diesel engines that the government has set its eyes on will cost the country Ksh1.5 billion
10-times boost transportation
The Principal Secretary (PS) State Department of Transport, Esther Koimett, had stated that the trains will facilitate the transport of around 132,000 people a day compared to the 13,000 that are served today.
The refurbished Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) expected to arrive in the country from June 2019 were acquired to address the urgent need to revamp the Nairobi Commuter Rail Service.
Though used, it is believed that the trains will serve for another 20 to 25 years.
There were, however, suspicions after reports questioned the DMUs low capacity, weaker engines and the fact that the 11 units would have to operate on Nairobi’s single-track railway system.
