Overview:

New railway extension from Kisumu to Malaba aims to cut transit times and shift heavy cargo from roads to rail across East Africa.

KISUMU, Kenya — The development of the Northern Corridor reached a significant milestone on Saturday as President Yoweri Museveni and Kenyan President William Ruto launched construction of the Kisumu-Malaba Standard Gauge Railway extension.

The Phase II project is designed to overhaul regional logistics by connecting the Port of Mombasa to the Ugandan border via a modern rail network. During the ceremony, both leaders emphasized that the extension is critical to reducing the high costs of doing business within the East African Community.

Following a private meeting to discuss infrastructure and trade, the presidents symbolically tightened a bolt on the line to mark the start of works. Ruto noted that the corridor is currently hampered by slow transit times, with cargo taking up to 80 hours to reach Malaba from the coast and over 100 hours to reach Kampala.

A slow transport corridor inevitably loses business and weakens our competitiveness as a nation, Ruto said. He added that of the 7.37 million tonnes of cargo handled at Mombasa in the first half of 2025, nearly 70 percent was destined for Uganda.

Museveni characterized the current reliance on road transport as irrational and wasteful. He said the SGR is part of a broader strategy to shift heavy cargo and petroleum products to rail and water transport, reserving roads for lighter loads and passenger travel.

If Africa does not address these cost pushers, we shall be outpriced and our goods will not be competitive even within Africa, Museveni warned.

The multi-billion-dollar project is expected to stimulate economic activity in the Lake Victoria basin, particularly in the agriculture and fisheries sectors. Once complete, the network will provide a seamless link between Mombasa, Nairobi, Naivasha, Kisumu, and Malaba, with eventual plans to extend the line to Kampala and beyond to Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan.

The launch was attended by senior officials from both nations, including Uganda First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga and Kenya Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.