How to Purchase SGR Tickets Using the eCitizen Platform: A Complete Guide
You’ll be happy to know that Kenya Railways has migrated its payment services to the e-Citizen platform in compliance with the President’s directive aimed at consolidating all government payments.
This guide will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the new payment process across all Kenya Railways services using the government’s single paybill number 222222.
Whether you frequently use the commuter and long-distance safari train services or make payments for other railway services like parking, terminals, institute tuition, restaurants, catering, museum entry etc., this article will detail the specific account number format you need to enter on the eCitizen platform.
So let’s get right into it!
Overview of the New eCitizen Payment Process
On Friday, Kenya Railways advised the public to channel all payments through the unified e-Citizen paybill number 222222. This applies to any service offered by the state corporation whether it is purchasing tickets, paying tuition fees or even outside catering services.
The new format requires you to enter a unique account number based on the specific service, followed by your name or other identifier like number plate.
For instance, to pay for the popular commuter and long-distance train tickets, you’ll enter “KRCC — Your Name” as the account number. The amount field will contain the actual ticket price.
This change aligns with the President’s directive to consolidate all government payments into a single, unified platform for ease of revenue collection and accountability.
The Kenya Railways statement notified citizens that tickets must be purchased at the originating train station before travel and each service has a predefined account number structure which we’ll cover in detail shortly.
Now let’s explore the specific account number formats for all major Kenya Railways services.
Detailed Account Number Formats for Kenya Railways Services
As mentioned earlier, the new eCitizen payment process introduces unique account number formats for every Kenya Railways services based on your location, service type and other identifiers.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the account number structure you’ll need to enter for different services:
1. Commuter and Safari Train Tickets
- Account Number Format: KRCC — Your Name
- Example: KRCC — John Doe
This format applies to all ticket purchases for Nairobi Commuter Rail and long distance inter-city safari train services like the Madaraka Express.
You simply enter the standard prefix “KRCC -” followed by your full name to pay for your ticket value into the amount field.
2. Terminal Services
- Nairobi: NRKP — BTS Number
- Mombasa: MALT — BTS Number
- Makongeni: MKTM — BTS Number
When paying for terminal-related services like baggage storage, amenities fees, etc. at Kenya Railways terminals, use the station prefix code followed by your unique BTS reference number.
- NRKP — Nairobi
- MALT — Mombasa
- MKTM — Makongeni
This links your payment to the specific terminal service availed based on the reference number.
3. Parking Services
- Account Number Format: NKRP — Number Plate
- Example: NKRP — KCQ001Z
To pay for parking at Kenya Railways’ car parking facilities like the one at Nakuru Station, enter the station code “NKRP -” followed by your vehicle’s license plate number.
This attaches the parking fee payment to your vehicle for the duration it’s parked on the facility.
4. Railway Training Institute
- Tuition Payments: Log in to Student Portal to Access Payment Options
- Kilimanjaro Restaurant: RTIK — First Name
- Kisumu Restaurant: KSMR — First Name
For RTI students paying tuition fees, kindly log in to the institution’s student portal, go to the payments section and follow the guided process to pay your semester or annual academic fees.
To pay for meals or services at the on-campus Kilimanjaro and Kisumu restaurants, use “RTIK -” or “KSMR -” followed by your first name. This tags your payment to the correct restaurant for the services offered.
5. Outside Catering Services
- Kenya Railways Outside Catering: KRCC — First Name
- Nairobi Restaurant Services: NRBR — First Name
- Nakuru Restaurant Services: NKRR — First Name
To pay for outside catering services offered by KR headquarters or restaurant meals at Nairobi and Nakuru stations, use the predefined prefix for each followed by your first name only.
6. Railway Museum Entry and Hire Facilities
- Account Number Format: Pay via krc.ecizen.go.ke museum portal
To pay for Railway Museum entry charges or hire of Museum facilities, kindly log in to the KRC eCitizen Museum portal at krc.ecitizen.go.ke/museum and follow the guided payment process.
This allows you to securely pay for museum-related services and tickets prior to visiting.
So in summary, note the unique account number prefix for each Kenya Railways service followed by your identifier (name, license plate, reference number etc.) when making payments via the eCitizen platform using paybill number 222222.
Why Migrate Payments to eCitizen Platform?
In case you’re wondering why Kenya Railways has migrated all its payment services to the unified eCitizen platform, here are some key reasons:
1. To comply with the Presidential Directive: This consolidation of government payments aims to improve accountability, revenue tracking and reconciliation through a single payment gateway.
2. Enhance user convenience: By moving payments to eCitizen, KR customers can now use a single, widely adopted platform to pay for railway services instead of different branches.
3. Boost digitization: Migration to eCitizen allows Kenya Railways to enhance service digitization, move towards virtual payment processes and align with e-government goals.
4. Standardize payment system: A unified platform standardizes the payment collection process across all arms of government including state corporations.
In a nutshell, this shift to e-Citizen for railway payments improves user experience, accountability, digitization and standardization of payments.
Frequently Asked Questions
For quick queries, check out answers to some frequently asked questions regarding the new eCitizen payment process:
Q1: Where can I purchase my train ticket from?
You must purchase tickets from the originating train station before boarding the commuter, intercity or long distance train at any Kenya Railways stations across the country.
Q2: How do I register on eCitizen Portal?
Visit eCitizen website ecitizen.go.ke and sign up using your ID/Passport details. Activate your account and log in to access government services.
Q3: What documents do I need to pay via eCitizen?
You’ll need a valid ID like National ID or Passport and phone number for OTP authentication to make Kenya Railways payments on eCitizen.
Q4: Can I still use cash, cards, mobile money?
No. All payments must be made through the eCitizen platform only using the guided process. No other modes of payment are accepted.
We hope this detailed guide gives you clarity on how to pay for Kenya Railways services by purchasing tickets, paying tuition fees, parking charges, catering services etc. using the new e-Citizen system.
Remember to use the accurate account number prefix and your identifier to ensure your payments are linked to you!
Reach out for further assistance to make your payments smooth and convenient.
