Presidents Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and William Ruto jointly launched the construction of the Kisumu–Malaba Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Extension, a major infrastructure project expected to strengthen regional trade and integration across East Africa.
President Museveni arrived in Kisumu earlier in the day, where he was received at Kisumu International Airport by Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Energy Cabinet Secretary James Opiyo Wandayi. He inspected a guard of honour mounted in his recognition.
The Ugandan delegation included officials from the Uganda High Commission in Nairobi, among them Ambassador Unice Kigyenyi, Charge d’Affaires Doreen Ruyondo, Defence Attaché MacDans Kamugira, and Police Attaché Elias Kassirabo.
Bilateral talks and launch
Following his arrival, President Museveni held closed-door talks with President Ruto, focusing on bilateral relations, regional trade, and infrastructure development between Uganda and Kenya.
The two leaders later presided over the official launch of the railway extension, symbolically tightening a bolt on the track to mark the start of construction.
“This is a very important function of launching the Naivasha–Kisumu to Malaba Standard Gauge Railway,” President Museveni said, describing the project as a key step in transforming regional transport systems.
Cutting transport costs
President Museveni emphasised that the railway is part of a broader strategy to rationalise transport in the region, particularly in Uganda, where he said over-reliance on road transport is inefficient.
“The railway is part of the rationalisation of our transport system… because passengers, light cargo, heavy cargo and petroleum products are all concentrated on the roads,” he said.
He outlined Uganda’s long-term plan to shift heavy cargo to rail, petroleum products to pipelines and water transport, and leave roads mainly for passengers and light cargo.
“If Africa does not address these cost pushers, we shall be outpriced and our goods will not be competitive even within Africa,” Museveni warned, pointing to high transport costs, expensive electricity, and costly financing as major constraints.
Ruto highlights regional impact
President Ruto praised Museveni for his commitment to regional integration and noted that the railway will unlock economic opportunities across East Africa.
“A slow transport corridor inevitably loses business and weakens our competitiveness as a nation,” Ruto said.
He revealed that cargo volumes through the Port of Mombasa reached 7.37 million tonnes in the first half of 2025, with nearly 70 percent destined for Uganda.
Ruto noted that cargo currently takes up to 80 hours to move from Mombasa to Malaba and more than 100 hours to reach Kampala, underscoring the need for faster and more efficient transport systems.
Regional trade corridor
The Kisumu–Malaba SGR extension is expected to significantly improve the Northern Corridor by reducing transit times, lowering freight costs, and enhancing connectivity between inland countries and the Kenyan coast.
The railway will link key regional hubs including Mombasa, Nairobi, Naivasha, Kisumu, and Malaba, and is expected to eventually extend to Kampala.
It will also support economic activity in the Lake Victoria basin and facilitate trade with landlocked countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Leaders express optimism
Leaders from both countries expressed optimism that the project will accelerate regional integration, improve trade efficiency, and strengthen economic cooperation.
The event was attended by Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga and Minister of Works and Transport Katumba Wamala, among other officials.
