In 1896, East Africa was ushered into a chapter of development when the construction of the first railway in the region began. Planned and designed by the British government, this would be the second mode of transport for foreigners to access the hinterland, and so it was named for its destination – the Uganda Railway. 

Labourers were brought in from India, while colonial officials were appointed as engineers and supervisors. However, once the project started, the workforce faced setbacks as a result of the wildlife and weather they encountered along the rail’s path. The Tsavo man-eaters, a pair of lions that roamed the vast region, were perhaps the most notorious. Most sources record that the lions killed over 100 members of the workforce. The mosquitos did not spare them either. For the British, the weather in some regions became unbearable. But the work continued, and in 1899 the rail reached the swampy area that would become the administrative capital of the colony.  

The work continued through different terrains which posed different challenges ranging from disease to encounters with Kenyan communities determined to protect their land. By 1901, as the railway came to its completion at the Port of Nam Lolwe, 485 kilometres from Mombasa, an estimated 2,500 people had been killed or died. Perhaps this should be the reason behind its label as The Lunatic Express! 

The railway line opened up the region to colonialism. More visitors came, settled, forcefully acquired land, and Kenya was snatched from indigenous communities. And while this turned out to be a season of hardship and oppression, it was just that, a season. 

After independence, Kenyans charted the country into new frontiers. Streets were Kenyanised, indigenous Kenyans were placed in political positions, and various systems and services came under the new government’s control. The East Africa Railway Corporation was among these. 

 In 1971, the Railway Museum was opened to serve as a reminder of the railway history, and serve as a learning centre. With it came the release of four rail-related stamps with different locomotives on the face of the stamps. One had an 11 Class diesel locomotive with the beach as its background. This retailed at 30 cents. The second was a 90 Class with what is a volcanic hill as the background and retailed at 70 cents. The third featured the 59 Class chugging through the hills, evidence of the diverse landscape the train travelled through, which went for 1 shilling and 50 cents. The last one was a 30 Class with Mt. Kenya in the background and went for 2 shillings and 50 cents. 

The railway continued to be a reliable, affordable means of transport up until the nineties when services started declining, and eventually collapsed.  

For close to two decades rail was non-existent, just a memory of a time ‘way back when’ for some. But in 2017 the system was restored with the launch of the first phase of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). Today Kenyans in towns located along the Nairobi-Mombasa route enjoy the convenience of the SGR at different times of the day as an affordable and time-friendly commuter service.  

And while the SGR doesn’t have stamps to boast its popularity, we wonder, do these stamps ring a bell to you? Share with us your memories on the train in the comments.  #KeStamps