Afristar, the operator of Kenya’s Chinese-built Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), has launched a comprehensive six-month training program in Nairobi in partnership with professors from Guangzhou Railway Polytechnic. The initiative aims to elevate the technical capabilities of local Kenyan staff working on the railway.
The program is a core component of Afristar’s long-standing localization agenda and skills transfer strategy, designed to deepen cooperation with Chinese educational institutions and ensure that Kenyan personnel are equipped for increasingly advanced railway operations.
Since the SGR’s inauguration on May 31, 2017, over 3,500 Kenyan staff have been trained, many through advanced programs at Chinese institutions such as Southwest Jiaotong University and Baoji Railway Technician College.
The new training focuses on bridging key skills gaps, including:
- Locomotive handling
- Advanced signaling diagnostics
- Track maintenance and troubleshooting
- Emergency response and fault detection
Joseph Njane, a locomotive and rolling stock specialist at Afristar, emphasized the training’s impact:
“This collaboration enriches our curriculum with tailored modules and train-the-trainer programs. Staff receive both theory and hands-on field exposure across the workshop and railway corridor.”
Gilbert Oyugi, a senior locomotive driver, praised the training for its emphasis on modern techniques in signaling and locomotive handling, calling it more practical and advanced than earlier sessions. Meanwhile, Crispo Mwangi, a track expert, highlighted how Chinese instructors made complex material accessible, integrating safety best practices and technical rigor.
By mixing classroom instruction with fieldwork and workshop rotations, the program aims to deliver real-world competence. Afristar says it will continue to monitor performance, expand modules, and institutionalize ongoing re-skilling across all levels of staff to maintain technology alignment with China’s railway standards.
