Madaraka Express trains during its grand launch by the President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta. [Photo/BBC news]
Kenyans traveling through the Madaraka express have been left exposed since its launch as train operator is yet to obtain an insurance company.
During an interview with Business daily, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) said that they are yet to find an insurance service provider three months after commencing its operations.
When asked how long the process of getting an insurance service provider would take, CRBC officer in charge of commercial and liaison department Mr Li Yang, did not give the exact period but instead asked Kenyans to be patient.
“I don’t want to comment on that matter because discussions are still going on with insurance scheme providers,” said Li Yang, a CRBC officer in charge of commercial and liaison department.
Lack of insurance cover means that in case of an accident, the passengers or injured persons will not be compensated.
According to Business daily, there have been arguments for months between CRBC, transport ministry officials and the Kenya Railways managers on the suitable service provider.
However, Officials are said to have settled on The AIG insurance as third liability cover due to their low pricing but CRBC has not been keen on procuring their services.
According to Kenya Railways, Madaraka express by August 2017 recorded 281,725 passengers traveling through the trains between Nairobi and Mombasa.The AIG insurance will be required to cover both passengers and the freight cargo.
Its offers schedule shows that they will intend to cover every passenger at a guaranteed sum of Ksh 3 million or Sh4.5 billion per one-way trip of 1,488 passengers.