Paper short abstract:

The Kenyan meter gauge railway has played an influential role in shaping the country's transport history yet currently a majority of its structures present as ruins. The paper intends to delve into the afterlives of the railway structures as narrated by the locals around them.

Paper long abstract:

Railway transport was first introduced during the Industrial Revolution; since then, it has played a pivotal role in the economic development of nations. Kenya's first encounter with the railroad came in 1986 with the British construction of the meter gauge railway (MGR). Despite its seminal role in modern Kenyan history, the MGR fell victim to many challenges ranging from aging equipment, maladministration, and an acute lack of maintenance. In an attempt to mitigate the challenges, in 2014, five East African governments agreed on the advancement towards the standard gauge railway (SGR). With the SGR, a new stage was reached in the social life of the MGR. The new SGR running at 120km per hour, arrived complete with a new railway network, new locomotives, and modern terminal stations. As a result, most of the MGR structures have been abandoned and left in decay. Such structures include the goods sheds and the last mile connections that were once vibrant pickup points for goods.

The data to be presented has been collected through photography and walking interviews in the period of June-October 2023 and January 2024. The presentation will entail the use of cartographical maps and photographs while the results from the interviews will be presented ad verbatim. The discussion will aim to show how the Locals around the structures in Nakuru county narrate the afterlives of the material remains along the railway line. Similarly, the presentation will discuss how the structures have been reappropriated over time by the locals.