President Yoweri Museveni and his Kenyan counterpart,William Ruto, have jointly overseen the launch of Phase 2C of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
The project is a key infrastructure expected to strengthen regional connectivity and trade within East Africa.
The project, which will run from Kisumu to Malaba, officially commenced at Kibos in Kisumu County on Saturday, marking a significant milestone in Kenya’s plan to extend the railway to the border and eventually link it with Uganda’s rail network.
Leaders, stakeholders, and the public gathered at the launch site to witness the symbolic tightening of bolts and nuts by the two leaders.
The move signals the start of construction works for the long-anticipated infrastructural project.
The ceremony underscored the importance of regional cooperation in advancing transport and economic development across East Africa.
Members of the Ugandan delegation included officials from the Uganda High Commission in Nairobi such as Ambassador Unice Kigyenyi, Charge d’Affaires, Doreen Ruyondo, Minister Counsellor, Brig. Gen. MacDans Kamugira, Defence Attaché, and Elias Kassirabo, Police Attaché.
President Museveni held a closed-door meeting with President Ruto where the two leaders discussed bilateral relations, regional trade, and infrastructure development between Uganda and Kenya.
The two Presidents later jointly launched the project and symbolically tightened a bolt on the railway line to mark the commencement of construction works.
President Museveni congratulated President Ruto and the people of Kenya upon what he described as a significant milestone in regional infrastructure development.
“This is a very important function of launching the Naivasha–Kisumu to Malaba Standard Gauge Railway,” President Museveni said.
President Museveni explained that the railway forms part of a broader plan to rationalise the transport system within the region, particularly in Uganda where he noted that over-reliance on road transport increases costs and inefficiencies.
“The railway is part of the rationalisation of our transport system, especially on the Ugandan side which is irrational and wasteful because passengers, light cargo, heavy cargo and petroleum products are all concentrated on the roads,” he said.
He explained that Uganda’s long-term plan is to transfer heavy cargo to the railway, petroleum products to pipelines and water transport, while reserving roads mainly for passengers and light cargo.
The President noted that this approach will reduce road congestion and improve the competitiveness of regional economies.
President Museveni emphasised that Africa must focus on producing high-quality but affordable goods to remain competitive globally. He identified high transport costs, expensive electricity, and the high cost of financing as key challenges affecting business competitiveness. “If Africa does not address these cost pushers, we shall be outpriced and our goods will not be competitive even within Africa,” he warned.
President Ruto commended President Museveni for his commitment to regional integration and his long-standing advocacy for East African unity.
He noted that the Standard Gauge Railway from Suswa through Kisumu to Malaba will unlock Kenya’s economic potential and benefit the entire East African region.
The Kisumu–Malaba SGR line is expected to serve as a gateway to opportunity for the Western Corridor, the Lake Region, and the broader East African Community by enhancing the movement of goods and passengers.
Once complete, the railway is anticipated to ease cargo transport from the port of Mombasa to Uganda and other landlocked countries, reduce transportation costs, and boost trade and industrial growth along the corridor.
The launch comes just hours after President Ruto held a meeting with leaders and professionals from the Nyanza region at State Lodge in Kisumu, where he briefed them on the progress of government development initiatives.
The engagement formed part of preparations for his four-day development tour of the region aimed at accelerating infrastructure, economic, and social projects.
When complete, the President had earlier on Thursday said it will establish a continuous railway artery of nearly 1,000km from Mombasa to Malaba, a corridor that will not only move goods but also secure Kenya’s place at the centre of Africa’s continental trade
“By extending this railway to Kisumu and ultimately to Malaba, we are consolidating Kenya’s role as the logistical backbone of East and Central Africa,” the President said in Narok on Thursday at Emurtoto village, Narok County.
The head of state added the project is set to complete a national vision; a vision to connect Kenya more efficiently, to lower the cost of doing business and to firmly position the country at the centre of trade in the Great Lakes region and across the African continent.
He described the 262.3km Narok-Kisumu section, Phase 2B of SGR network, not just an extension, but a strategic economic intervention for the country.
This corridor holds immense economic potential, Ruto said, adding that western Kenya produces tea, maize, sugar and rice, supports a vibrant fisheries sector in the Lake Victoria region, and supplies critical inputs for agro-processing and industry.
