President Museveni has arrived in Kisumu, Kenya, at the invitation of William Ruto, to participate in the launch of the transformative Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), a flagship infrastructure project expected to reshape regional trade and connectivity across East Africa.
Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, Museveni highlighted the significance of the project.
“I have arrived in Kisumu, Kenya, at the invitation of H.E. William Ruto, to join him in launching the Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba Standard Gauge Railway. This is a strategic project that will reduce the cost of transport, ease the movement of goods, and deepen economic integration within East Africa. I look forward to this engagement,” he wrote.
The railway project marks a major milestone in Kenya’s long-term infrastructure agenda, which began in 2014 when the government embarked on replacing the 130-year-old colonial railway—commonly referred to as the “Lunatic Express”—with a modern Standard Gauge Railway network designed to meet contemporary transport and logistics demands.
The Naivasha–Kisumu main line will stretch approximately 264 kilometers, including an 8.69-kilometer branch line connecting to the proposed new Kisumu Port. The subsequent Kisumu–Malaba section will extend a further 107 kilometers, creating a seamless link between Kenya and Uganda, and enhancing access to the wider East African region.
Traversing nine counties—Narok, Bomet, Nyamira, Kericho, Kisumu, Siaya, Vihiga, Kakamega, and Busia—the corridor is expected to significantly ease the movement of people, goods, and services.
Analysts say the project will catalyze regional economic growth while strengthening Kenya’s position as a key transport and logistics hub in Eastern and Central Africa.
Implementation of the railway has been entrusted to China Communications Construction Company, with construction planned in two phases.
Phase 2B will link Naivasha to Kisumu over approximately 264 kilometers, including the Kisumu Port branch line, while Phase 2C will extend the railway from Kisumu to Malaba on the Kenya–Uganda border.
The SGR forms a critical component of the Northern Corridor, a vital trade route connecting Kenya to landlocked neighbors such as Uganda and South Sudan.
Once completed, the railway is expected to significantly boost regional trade, lower transport costs, and accelerate economic integration across East Africa.