CRBC said those recruited to work on the railway are expected to help run it once construction is complete.
It starts in Mombasa and cuts across Kilifi, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Makueni, Kajiado and Machakos counties before ending in Nairobi.
At least 30,000 workers will be on the payroll as the Chinese firm contracted to build the first phase of the standard gauge railway begins hiring.
China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) said in a statement Tuesday that it had embarked on a recruitment drive that would bring on board at least 30,000 workers to take part in building the railway.
The workers are engineers and equipment operators, human resource officials, land surveyors and casual labourers.
“To complete the project on time, about 30,000 workers will be employed. Kenyan workers hired to work on the railway will be trained on such areas as technology, safety and environment management. CRBC is currently receiving applications from interested job seekers,” said CRBC in a statement.
About 2,500 foreign workers, mainly Chinese, will be brought into the country to work alongside Kenyans in the construction, according to the Kenya Railways Corporation — the government agency overseeing the project.
The railway is planned to run from Mombasa to Kigali (Rwanda), with the first phase terminating in Nairobi to cost taxpayers Sh327 billion.
CRBC said the people recruited to work on the railway are expected to play a part in sustainably running the line once the construction is completed. Successful applicants will be trained before being engaged in the actual construction.
