Chinese-built modern railway unleashing hope, upward mobility for Kenyan youth

Published : August 09,2023

   By Naftali Mwaura, Li Zhuoqun

While growing up in the picturesque central Kenyan countryside, Lawrence Pius Murithi was at ease juggling school work and tending to his parents’ farm, instilling in him the virtues of hard work, fortitude and service.

Murithi’s well-adjusted upbringing came in handy when he enrolled for a mechanical engineering course at a mid-level college in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, where he burnt the midnight oil and passed with a decent grade.

Now a supervisor at the rolling stock department of the Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), Murithi glows with pride having secured a prized career that has eluded the majority of his peers.

Prior to the launch of the 480 kilometers modern railway on May 31, 2017, the 32-year-old benefitted from training on the maintenance of passenger trains, sponsored by the SGR contractor.

“I was lucky I was considered to join SGR in the rolling stock section for the maintenance of passenger trains,” Murithi told Xinhua during a recent interview, attributing his Chinese instructors for his competence at work.

For the last six years since he joined the growing ranks of local youth working for the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR, Murithi has sharpened his technical, managerial and interpersonal skills.

In addition, he has improved his financial standing, thanks to a decent monthly salary that has enabled him to purchase land in his ancestral village and run a livestock business as a side hustle.

“I have ornamental birds and other animals. Working for the SGR has improved my living status and I look forward to furthering my education so that I can be in top management of the company,” Murithi said.

Looking back, Murithi was at pains to explain how life would be minus the financial security, exposure and skill set that the modern railway has provided him, vowing to mentor his younger peers to dream of prestigious careers like his.

Since it was put into operation six years ago, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR has accelerated the localization of its workforce, hiring a robust cadre of young professionals to work in key sections like locomotives, track, signal and management.

Dennis Ogeto, a 33-year-old mechanical engineering major, was recruited by the SGR operator in 2018 to work in the dispatch section where his daily routine involves connecting wagons with the passenger and cargo trains.

The former construction worker had a glow on his face one balmy afternoon as he held chopsticks with dexterity while enjoying a meal of rice and beef stew before embarking on the next assignment.

Under the tutelage of Chinese instructors, Ogeto is now competent in assembling wagons for the passenger and freight trains that ply the Mombasa-Nairobi and Suswa routes.

“The training by Chinese instructors has been very good because when I joined the SGR, I had minimal skills, but now I have gathered a lot of skills,” Ogeto said, adding that he has also acquired managerial skills from his Chinese supervisors.

Ogeto said that other positive attributes he has acquired courtesy of his Chinese instructors include better time management, self-discipline, hard work and respect for diversity.

A career spanning over five years at the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR has also improved Ogeto’s social skills, and he singled out his ability to relate cordially with passengers and colleagues.

Despite his humble upbringing at a rural hamlet in western Kenya, Ogeto has endeavored to dream of a better future and looks forward to upward mobility at his current workstation.

“I dream to get a managerial position at the SGR in the years to come and hope one day it will be extended to the Ugandan border so that it creates more opportunities for fellow youth,” Ogeto said.

Hailed for revolutionizing mobility and commerce along its 480 kilometer corridor, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR has contributed to the growth of Kenya’s gross domestic product by 1.5 percent, according to government statistics.

The SGR, a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, has unleashed skills and technology transfer, benefitting local youth.

Stephen Mutua, a 39-year-old father of three, is a proud team leader at the track and bridge maintenance section of Ngong SGR station, located on the western hillsides of Nairobi.

A business management major from a mid-level college, Mutua joined the SGR in 2019, and thanks to training and mentorship from his Chinese instructors, he is competent in overseeing a team that is mandated with maintaining the track.

“I have gained knowledge, especially from the Chinese technicians who have taught us a lot in areas of management, planning, and inspecting the track and bridges,” Mutua said.

In the near future, Mutua plans to go back to college, pursue an advanced course in railways operations and maintenance and hopefully secure a top-level managerial position at his current workstation.

Xinhua