Netherlands Royal Couple Tour Naivasha Inland Container Depot

“The Government of Kenya has in the last ten years made significant strides in rehabilitating, upgrading and developing infrastructure along the Northern Corridor and at the Port of Mombasa in order to facilitate regional and International trade.” The Cabinet Secretary Ministry for Roads and Transport Mr. Davis Chichir said this when he hosted the King of the Netherlands His Majesty Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima during their tour of the Naivasha Inland Container Depot.

Their tour of the facility which hosts a major facility for dry export product follows the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in March 2024 between the Government of Kenya and the Kingdom of Netherlands to develop a Cool-logistics corridor-a freight System specifically designed for fresh produce. The Netherlands being one of the major importers of Kenya’s horticultural produce, this visit will solidify partnership between the two countries.

The visit also came against the backdrop of Kenya Railways’ remarkable milestone in the development of a Cool Logistics Corridor following the introduction of inaugural Reefer carriages which will facilitate the transportation of perishable goods. The move will now make it possible for perishables from various centers to be collected and transported by rail to Mombasa and thereafter via sea to Europe and other destinations.

This move by the Kenyan Government is key to facilitating quick, timely and effective transportation of perishable products from Kenya’s hinterland and the entire East African region while being able to monitor the freshness of the products throughout the journey through real-time temperature monitoring systems.

The Government is also transitioning from air to rail and sea transport as it is more environmentally sustainable due to higher energy efficiency, lower carbon emissions and the ability to carry larger quantities of goods with lesser negative environmental impact than air freight.

The welcoming delegation included CS Lee Kinyanjui-Investments, Trade and Industry, Mutahi Kagwe-Agriculture and Livestock Development and PS State Department for Transport, Mr. Mohamed Daghar, CBS. Also present were Kenya Railways Managing Director Philip Mainga, EBS and Kenya Ports Authority Managing Director Captain William Ruto.