Passengers on a high-speed train at Kenya Railways were all smiles as a fellow passenger gave birth on Wednesday,
Reports show that the mother was assisted by a doctor and nurse who were also on board.
The expectant mother went into labour while travelling by express from Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to the port city of Mombasa.
“We are delighted to share a heartwarming story of a mother who welcomed her bundle of joy on board the Madaraka Express,” Kenya Railways said on Facebook on Wednesday, posting photos showing the woman and the newborn surrounded by beaming staffers and passengers.
After giving birth, “she was rushed to Mariakani sub-county hospital for further medical assistance,” according to the post, which received over 2,400 likes.
“Both the mother and the baby are okay. We wish her well.”
Hundreds of people congratulated the new mother on Facebook, with some urging her to name the baby Madaraka (“freedom” in Swahili) and others urging Kenya Railways to provide the child with free express service for the rest of his or her life.
The service is part of Kenya’s largest infrastructure project since its independence from Britain in 1963, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
East African leaders launched it as a master plan to connect their countries by rail.
It is currently snaking from Mombasa to the Rift Valley town of Naivasha via Nairobi, with the goal of eventually connecting Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi, and Ethiopia.
