A lobby group has objected to the planned increase of Madaraka Express train fares between Nairobi and Mombasa.
Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) secretary-general Stephen Mutoro said Tuesday the increased fares would force many consumers to shun the SGR train services.
"We strongly object to the 71.43 percent increment which is not only steep but unreasonable," Mutoro said in a letter dated February 8 to Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia.
"Kenyans are paying dearly for the loans on the SGR project. It cannot be that SGR then charges more than buses."
He wrote the letter in reaction to the plan by the Kenya Railways to increase fares.
Kenya Railways managing director Atanas Maina said early two weeks ago month that the charges could be adjusted to Sh1,200 from Sh700 after approval by the Transport ministry.
"We are waiting for approvals from the Transport ministry which should be out by next month. As soon as we get them, we will do adjustments across the board," Maina said said in Nairobi at a press conference.
The Sh3,000 fare for first-class passengers on the train which has been operational since June 2017 will remain the same in the new fare model.