Hundreds of passengers aboard the newly launched Nairobi- Kisumu passenger train which left Nairobi on Tuesday morning for its second trip to the lakeside city were stranded for hours after it stalled in Muhoroni area.
Stranded passengers at the Kisumu Railway station on December 21, 2022
Photo credit: Rushdie Oudia | Nation Media Group
The train, which left Nairobi at 6am and was scheduled to arrive in Kisumu at 6pm, arrived at 10:38pm. This was the second trip that the train was making to Kisumu following its launch on December 17. According to passengers, the train stalled at around 5pm.
Muhoroni Deputy Sub County Police Commander Zephaniah Kamuren confirmed that the train stalled at Tamu area after a wagon derailed.
Stranded passengers broke the news of the mishap on social media, sharing photos of the stalled train. The derailed wagon was put back on the track at 9pm.
The Kenya Railways Corporation said that the Kisumu-bound train had encountered a slight hitch occasioned by heavy rains that had earlier pounded the Muhoroni area.
“We wish to inform the public that the Kisumu bound train encountered a slight hitch occasioned by the heavy rains that earlier pounded the Muhoroni area. The issue has since been sorted out and the train is already on the way to Kisumu,” it stated.
Stranded passengers at the Kisumu Railway station on December 21, 2022.
Photo credit: Rushdie Oudia | Nation Media Group
The train was scheduled to make a return journey from Kisumu to Nairobi on Wednesday, but the trip could not be confirmed by the time of going to press.
Kenya Railways Managing Director Philip Mainga blamed the mishap on heavy rains in Muhoroni, Miwani and Kibos areas, which he said, affected the captain's visibility of the track.
"Some parts of the railway line were flooded and the visibility was bad, leading to one of the wheels of the coaches to derail,” said Mr Mainga.
He said that 550 passengers had boarded the train from Nairobi and more might have boarded at Nakuru, bringing the number to around 600.
