By David Rupiny
Kenya’s President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart have broken ground for the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha through Kisumu up to Malaba on the Ugandan border.
NTV Kenya video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7woBd4VNnws
The railway will connect to the Mombasa-Nairobi-Naivasha SGR, part of the larger northern East African transport corridor. The SGR will boost transport connectivity and enhance trade and transport efficiency within East Africa.
The SGR is expected to reach Kisumu by mid-2027, where it will connect with a Lake Victoria steamer line to Jinja and Entebbe in Uganda. From Kisumu, the SGR will also reach the border town of Malaba, connecting with the Malaba-Kampala line, which is already under construction.
The Ugandan line will extend to the Democratic Republic (via Kasese in western Uganda and Pakwach in northeastern Uganda), Rwanda, and South Sudan.
President Ruto saud history teaches us that infrastructure development does not just connect places; it often creates them, adding that the new SGR line will not only improve regional connectivity but also drive economic growth, create opportunities for businesses, and reduce inefficiencies in the transport sector.
President Ruto said the railway infrastructure will not only connect places and spur urbanization but also determine investment, trade, and prosperity.
“This railway will connect farmers to markets, enabling the fast and efficient transportation of goods such as livestock, tea, dairy, grains, and fish across the region,” President Ruto said.
President Ruto said the SGR project would also foster the growth of industrial parks, logistics hubs, and commercial centers along the corridor, attracting significant private sector investment.
In his speech, President Museveni said, “This is a strategic project that will significantly reduce the cost of transport, ease the movement of goods, and deepen economic integration within East Africa.” He added that the bone marrow of the economy is electricity and transport, especially the railway.
President Museveni observed that 100 years from now, when future generations look back on this moment, they will see it as a turning point – that moment when we laid the foundation for their prosperity, strengthened the bonds of regional integration, and set in motion a new era of growth, dignity, and shared opportunity for our region and our continent,.
The SGR expansion will reduce transit times for goods, cutting down the time it takes for cargo to travel from Mombasa to Malaba, and ultimately to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As a result, the region stands to benefit from greater economic efficiency and competitiveness.
The SGR is expected to drastically reduce freight costs by about 50 percent per tonne per kilometre. It will also cut transit times by nearly 30 percent, with the share of cargo moved by rail expected to increase significantly. As a result, the pressure on the country’s road infrastructure will ease, leading to a reduction in wear and tear on roads and better overall transport efficiency.
The overall cost is estimated at $3.9 billion
NTV Kenya video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7woBd4VNnws
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