Kenya's SGR project shifts into high gear toward Uganda
President William Ruto launching the extension of construction of the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to Kisumu and later Malaba town, on the Kenya-Uganda border.
Kenya's push to position itself as the entry into the East African market has engaged the high gear with launch of the extension of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) connecting Naivasha to Kisumu and later border town of Malaba.
The project, which will be undertaken by China Road and Bridge Corporation, will see the construction of a 264 kilometre railway from Naivasha to Kisumu (phase 2B) and later 107-kilometre—phase 2C—linking Kisumu to the border town of Malaba.
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Phase 2B, which is expected to be complete by June 2027, will snake through Narok, Bomet, Kericho, Nyamira counties enroute to the port city of Kisumu. Phase 2B will see the key infrastructure project connect Kisumu to the border town of Malaba while also serving Siaya, Vihiga, Kakamega and Busia counties.
Speaking on Thursday the groundbreaking ceremony at Emurtoto village in Suswa, Narok County, President William Ruto said SGR freight currently generate over Kes1.3 billion per month, while passenger revenue has increased by 40 percent, surpassing Ksh4 billion every year.
The new SGR stretch, which is expected to be complete in two years, is projected to help quadruple cargo capacity to 4000 tonnes per train, providing vital supply line for importers in Uganda, Rwanda and Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The new SGR stretch is set to be built at a cost of Kes549 billion ($5.49 billion), which according to government disclosures will be sourced from a mix of sources to avoid over-dependence on debt.
Transit cargo through the Port of Mombasa 7.37 million tonnes in the six months to June 2025, with nearly seven out of 10 containers destined for Uganda. Currently, cargo takes up to 80 hours to reach Malaba by road and just over 100 hours to Kampala.
Once complete, the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba SGR extension will be able to handle freight trains with a haulage capacity of 4,000 tonnes (or 216 TEUs) per train, with a designed speed of over 80 km/h. The line's total designed freight carrying capacity is 22 million tonnes annually.
Through the Kenya Ports Authority, Kisumu is being positioned as a multi-modal logistics hub, integrating rail, road and lake transport to better serve Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and South Sudan markets.
