Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome on Tuesday, March 28, led a team of representatives from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China through a security inspection of the Standard Gauge Railway(SGR) that serves Nairobi to Mombasa.
According to a statement by the National Police Service(NPS), the security inspection was intended to identify and address the causes of external risks along the railway line.
In addition, NPS noted that the fact-finding security inspection would continue for two days.
Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome leads a team from the Chinese Embassy through an SGR inspection on Tuesday, March 28, 2023.
Twitter
NPS Representatives from the Kenya Railways Corporation and Africa Star Railway Operation Company also took part in the inspection exercise which kicked off on Tuesday.
“The IG is leading the inspection team consisting of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Kenya, NPS, Kenya Railways Corporation and Africa Star Railway Operation Company,” the statement read in part.
The exercise, according to the NPS, would also inform the long-term effective mechanisms that would be put in place as a solution to all the external risks to the services provided by the railway line.
“The trip is intended to identify the external risks along the SGR, analyse and discover the deep conflicts and causes behind the risks.
“We also intend to achieve consensus among all parties to rectify the risks and improve the risk management system,” read the NPS statement in part.
The National Police Service further reiterated that the move was to show its commitment to protecting life and property.
Earlier on March 15, Kenya Railways Managing Director Phillip Mainga, while appearing before the National Assembly Committee of Public Investments, confirmed that the corporation had completed a 90 per cent takeover of the SGR operations.
“We are at 90 per cent takeover of SGR. We hope to have taken over operations completely by the next financial year,” the MD stated at the time.
Further, he noted that the corporation had shown prospects of recovering from perennial losses.
Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome leads a team from the Chinese Embassy through an SGR inspection on Tuesday, March 28, 2023.
Twitter
NPS
