Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday took the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) ride from Mombasa to Nairobi making history as the first visiting Head of State to take the 4-hour ride.
President Museveni who was accompanied by CSs Monica Juma (Foreign Affairs) and James Macharia (Transport) during the train ride had nothing but praises for President Uhuru Kenyatta's flagship project.
"It was a comfortable four-hour ride. The SGR is key in cutting down transport costs, reducing pilferage and ensuring goods arrive faster to the hinterland. It will greatly reduce business costs," Museveni indicated after embarking at Nairobi terminus.
On arrival at the Nairobi SGR Terminus, the Ugandan leader was received by his host President Uhuru and Deputy President William Ruto.
Uhuru indicated that by being the first visiting Head of State to travel using Kenya's new modern railway line, Museveni showed the remarkable partnership that exists between Kenya and Uganda.
"Kenya has invited Uganda to join in the joint development of the SGR to ensure it continues to Kampala.
"The SGR runs parallel to the old metre gauge railway line where passenger trains run between the Mombasa Terminus and Nairobi Terminus at Syokimau," State House Nairobi communicated.
Earlier in the day, President Uhuru took Museveni on a tour of the Mombasa Port as part of the three-day state visit.
"It is a great facility that is key for our countries' trade relations. What we call for is more efficiency so that our business people do not lose time getting their goods cleared," Museveni added.
"We look forward to partnering on other projects with our Kenyan brothers. They have offered us land to build a dry port at Naivasha. The SGR is a project we are partnering on.
"We shall take advantage of the petroleum facility built in Kisumu so that we transport our petroleum products across Lake Victoria and save our roads from wear and tear occasioned by the heavy trucks," he concluded.
