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President William Ruto has announced that construction of the Kenya–Uganda Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) link will officially begin on March 20 in Kisumu, marking a significant step toward regional infrastructure integration.
Ruto said the project, which will link Nairobi and Kampala, is expected to reduce travel time and lower freight transport costs between the two countries while boosting trade within the East African region.
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“On the 20th of this month, we will launch the actual construction of the railway in Kisumu together with President Yoweri Museveni,” Ruto said.
The President made the remarks during the Extraordinary Summit of the East African Community held in Arusha.
According to Ruto, the Kenya–Uganda SGR agreement signed in March 2025 commits both countries to completing the Nairobi–Kampala rail connection by 2028.
He noted that the railway will cut travel time between the two cities from about 14 hours to roughly four hours, while lowering freight transport costs by about 35 per cent.
The railway project is part of broader regional transport initiatives aimed at improving connectivity among East African Community member states.
Ruto said progress has also been made on several key road infrastructure projects across the region.
These include the feasibility study for Kenya’s Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit highway and major road corridors in Uganda, such as the Kampala–Jinja and Jinja–Malaba–Busia–Kisumu routes.
“A market sounding conference for the Jinja–Malaba–Busia–Kisumu section was successfully held in November 2025,” Ruto said, adding that the process was an important step toward implementing the regional transport corridor.
He also cited progress on the Mombasa–Tanga–Bagamoyo coastal road connecting Kenya and Tanzania.
“The construction of the Mombasa–Tanga–Bagamoyo coastal road has reached 62 per cent completion, with 460 kilometres of the 720-kilometre stretch already operational,” Ruto said.
He added that the road corridor is already creating new economic opportunities and has reduced cargo transit time by nearly 40 per cent.
The President further pointed to developments in Tanzania’s railway sector, noting that the country’s Standard Gauge Railway services have begun improving passenger and cargo transport.
“Tanzania’s SGR passenger services, which began on June 14, 2024, currently carry an average of 10,000 passengers daily between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma,” Ruto said.
Freight operations from Pugu station to the Ihumwa Inland Container Freight Station also began on June 27 last year, marking another milestone in regional logistics.
“These developments represent significant progress for our community as we continue strengthening regional integration through infrastructure,” Ruto said.
Regional leaders say the new railway and road networks are expected to enhance trade, lower transportation costs and support economic growth across East Africa.
