Richard Makenga, managing director of Cargocare International Ltd, said the signing of the contract is a milestone for his company and its clients.

"We are looking forward to transporting our cargo through SGR which is safer and reliable compared to roads,” he said. “We are assured that the cargo will reach Nairobi within our timelines. All we have been looking for is efficient, reliable and safe transportation of our cargo, and we are happy that KR is committed to offering the same.”

Makenga added that clearing his cargo from Mombasa to Nairobi will greatly help his company, which has previously been doing clearance in Mombasa.

"When I started my business, I used to do 100 percent of clearing process at the ICD in Embakasi but when I moved to Mombasa I experienced a lot of inconveniences trying to position my office and staff,” he explained.

“However, if I can reverse and do all the clearing of my cargo at the Embakasi ICD, I will feel eased with a lot of issues. I'm looking forward to getting maximum cooperation from KCCC and KR.”

Makenga said there are still some challenges that need addressing in order to make their operations smooth. "The shipping line tends to put up very high mark-up on the cargo coming to ICD. If that can be done away with, then everybody will transport their cargo through railway," he said.