Kenyan President William Ruto and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni laid the foundation stone on Saturday in Kisumu for phase 2C of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), officially marking the start of construction on the Kisumu–Malaba section. Work is also beginning simultaneously on phase 2B, linking Naivasha with Kisumu.
This milestone represents a decisive step toward enhancing the international connectivity of East African markets, directly joining Kenya with Uganda and beyond. The cross-border line, known as phase 2C, will stretch 107 kilometres and is estimated to cost 650 billion Kenyan shillings (about 4.3 billion US dollars). Meanwhile, the 264‑kilometre phase 2B will link up with the already operational Mombasa–Naivasha line.
Connecting the port of Mombasa with Central Africa
This new international route will enable the transport of up to 4,000 tonnes of freight by rail, sharply cutting transit times and logistics costs to and from the port of Mombasa — the main maritime gateway for Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ruto highlighted that this cross-border rail link “unlocks the economic potential of the Nyanza region and transforms the SGR into a truly continental network, shedding its former image as a railway to nowhere.” Museveni stressed its strategic importance: “This infrastructure binds together sister nations, streamlines trade, and strengthens African integration by directly connecting Kampala with the Indian Ocean.”
The works, expected to take two years, include bridges, tunnels, and modern stations. Funding comes primarily from Kenya, with multilateral support. Experts anticipate that the new corridor will ease road congestion at the Malaba border, boost agricultural exports from both Kenya and Uganda, and establish the East African Corridor as a key logistics axis. The project revives plans stalled since 2023, rekindling bilateral cooperation amid a regional trade boom.