Next month, Kenya will begin the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway(SGR) Phase 2B and 2C, extending the line from Naivasha through Kisumu to Malaba.
- •Phase 2B will stretch approximately 264 kilometres from Naivasha to Kisumu, while Phase 2C will continue onward to Malaba at the Uganda border.
- •Kampala is advancing plans to link its Standard Gauge Railway project to Kenya’s network, an initiative already under way, while also exploring a southern connection to Tanzania’s system.
- •The parallel initiatives signal a revival of railway diplomacy in East Africa, as governments compete and collaborate to secure export corridors, capture mineral flows, and reduce logistics costs across a rapidly integrating region.
Preparatory surveys for the Naivasha-Malaba section are under way at the proposed main terminus in Kibos, near the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) depot, following consultations between Kenya Railways, the National Land Commission, national government officials and Kisumu County leaders.
The discussions have focused on land acquisition, timely compensation for affected persons, employment opportunities for local youth, and inclusion of local enterprises in the project rollout.
The Phase 2B section will include 79 railway bridges with a combined length of about 43 kilometres, eight tunnels spanning 14.26 kilometres, and 376 culverts covering roughly seven kilometres. The initial buildout will deliver 26 stations, comprising one major station, six intermediate stations and 18 crossing stations, as well as one freight port facility.
An additional 8.68-kilometre branch line will link the main railway to the proposed Kisumu Port, incorporating one bridge and eight culverts to facilitate cargo transfer between rail and lake transport. The intermodal connection is intended to tighten integration between rail services and shipping on Lake Victoria.
Once complete, the Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba corridor is expected to ease freight and passenger mobility, lower transport costs and revive the original vision of connecting the coast to Lake Victoria and onward into the Great Lakes region.
According to data from the KNBS, the SGR saw a massive spike in demand, with passenger numbers jumping from 258,600 in November to 344,391 in December. This surge pushed SGR passenger revenue to KSh 602.3 million for the month.
The line has also been designed for future electrification, though expansion of national power capacity would be required before electric trains can operate.
Parallel Initiatives
A Ugandan Ministry of Works and Transport document outlines a proposed line running from the Tanzania border through southern and southwestern Uganda to Mpondwe on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The project is aimed at connecting mineral-rich regions of Uganda and Tanzania to Dar es Salaam while cutting transit time and transportation costs.
Uganda currently routes the bulk of its commodity exports through Mombasa. The African Development Bank (AfDB) is considering financing preparation activities for the Ugandan project and could fund the railway if feasibility studies find it bankable.
At the same time, Uganda and Kenya are reviewing their 1998 railway cooperation agreement to align it with current trade patterns. Bilateral trade between the two countries exceeded US$1.5 billion in 2025, intensifying pressure to expand rail capacity beyond congested road networks. Under the revised framework, both countries are also weighing deeper integration with Tanzania, which has also emerged as a critical trade hub for landlocked states.
