President William Ruto has announced that the construction of the Kenya-Uganda Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) link will be officially launched on March 20 in Kisumu, marking a major milestone in regional infrastructure integration.
Ruto said the project, which will connect Nairobi to Kampala, will significantly reduce travel time and freight costs between the two countries while strengthening trade within the East African region.
“On the 20th of this month, we will be launching the actual construction of the rail in Kisumu with President Yoweri Museveni,” Ruto said.
The President spoke 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 railway link by 2028.
“The project will cut travel time between the two cities from 14 hours to about four hours while reducing freight costs by 35 per cent,” he said.
The railway project forms part of broader regional transport infrastructure improvements aimed at strengthening connectivity among East African Community member states.
Ruto said significant milestones have already been achieved in key road infrastructure projects across the region.
Among them is the feasibility study for the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit highway in Kenya, as well as major road corridors in Uganda, including 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, noting that the process was an important step towards implementing the regional corridor.
He also highlighted progress on the Mombasa–Tanga–Bagamoyo coastal road linking Kenya and Tanzania.
“The construction of the Mombasa–Tanga–Bagamoyo coastal road has progressed to 62 per cent completion, with 460 kilometres of the 720-kilometre stretch already operational,” Ruto said.
He added that the road corridor is already opening new economic opportunities and has reduced cargo transit time by nearly 40 per cent.
The President also pointed to progress in Tanzania’s railway sector, noting that the country’s Standard Gauge Railway services have already begun transforming passenger and cargo transport.
“Tanzania’s SGR passenger services, which started on June 14, 2024, currently move an average of 10,000 passengers daily between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma,” Ruto said.
Freight services from Pugu station to Ihumwa Inland Container Freight Station also began on June 27 last year, marking a major milestone in regional logistics.
“These developments represent a great stride 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 boost trade, reduce transport costs and accelerate economic growth across East Africa.
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