Remembering my first train journey from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa, and then to Nairobi

March 31st, 2009

Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) - I remember that day in March 1963 when, as a fresh employee of the East African Common Services Organisation, I took my first train ride from Dar to Mombasa, and then Nairobi.

It’s an experience of a lifetime. The accommodations were simply superlative – overnight and throughout daytime… the food, the beverages, the bedding, the service-with-a bona fide smile — and the trains ran on time; it was all hunky-dory! For all that, I had the East African Railways and Harbours to thank.

Today, sadly, I can’t say the same for the railway transport/travel services in the region. This has been the case especially after the East African Railways , which was jointly operated under the East African Common Services Organisation (EACSO) by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania collapsed along with the original East African Community on June 30, 1977.

The Community took over where EACSO had left off following the Kampala Agreement on regional integration in 1967.

In the wake of the 1977 implosion, the three EAC states gathered together what they could salvage of the shattered common services and went their different ways, starting separate services. In the event, rail services (for example) that had known no boundaries within the region suddenly became fragmented internal joke

In fact, Tanzania practically uprooted the Moshi/Kahe-Taveta line to melodramatically drive the point home. In the due course of time and events, rail travel/transport services in the three countries went from bad to worse.

All manner and style of excuses for that were advanced by the officials who were now managing state-owned enterprises — or those responsible for appointing them to their new-found cushy sinecures.

Little was done to rectify the mess. Then our development partners hit upon the brilliant idea of privatising the services in one form or another. Only that this has not solved the problem.

Late in 2007, Dar (51 per cent) took on-board the India-based RITES Consortium (49 per cent) as a partner in Tanzania Railways Ltd. It has been a sorry affair for the country down the line!

The government has so far disbursed $500,000 to top up TRL wages for its 3,000 employees, taking upon itself what’ is TRL’s obligation. The consortium has also failed to regularly meet its quarterly $1.5 million in concessionary fees to Dar — and is alleged to juggle around with Government assets outside the pact.

Kenya and Uganda teamed up in 2006, contracting the Rift Valley Railways to manage their parastatal railways services. The consortium includes South Africa’s Sheltam Trade Close Corporation and Mirambo Holdings of Tanzania. Sadly, the woes aren't much different from Tanzania Railways’. In fact, Uganda and Kenya are seeking court assistance to cancel the 25-year RVR deal. Meanwhile, the two are working on plans for a new $500 million railway between them.

For their part, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania have signed a memorandum of understanding on a railway network from Isaka (Tanzania) to Kigali (Rwanda), and from Tanzania through Keza-Gitega to Musongati in Burundi.

This may be a good thing but, why are the endeavours not concerted within the five countries, all of whom are members of the new EAC? Shall I ever see the good old EAR days again?

* Karl Lyimo is a freelance journalist based in Dar.

source.The East African (Kenya), by Karl Lyimo *