President William Ruto has rolled out a double infrastructure push for Western Kenya, with plans to extend the standard gauge railway and upgrade the Rironi–Mau Summit Road.
The two high-impact infrastructure are seen as a major economic boost for the region.
The President on Thursday broke ground for the construction of the Naivasha–Kisumu standard gauge railway (SGR) line.
The last phase stretching from Kisumu to Malaba, Kenya's border with Uganda will be launched on Saturday in the presence of President Yoweri Museveni.
The 475km railway network, which will snake through key economic zones of Bomet, Kericho, Kisumu and onward to Malaba, is expected to unlock trade and lower the cost of transport.
It will also position Kisumu's lakeside city as a critical logistics hub for East and Central Africa.
The SGR launch came, months after he inaugurated the Rironi–Mau Summit road network that is expected to ease transport to the Western part of the country.
The dualling of the Rironi–Mau Summit highway, a notoriously congested stretch on the Northern Corridor, promises to ease traffic snarl-ups, enhance road safety and improve the movement of goods and people between Nairobi and the western region.
Travel from Nairobi to Western Kenya is often marked by heavy congestion, especially on the Rironi–Mau Summit Road, where traffic snarl-ups and accidents are common.
Long travel hours, unpredictable delays and narrow, overstretched sections turn the journey into a slow, frustrating ordeal for motorists and public transport users alike.
President Ruto is banking on the two mega infrastructure projects to also cement his political and economic foothold in Western Kenya ahead of next year's general election.
On Friday, Ruto will pitch camp in former opposition leader Raila Odinga’s (deceased) Nyanza backyard with a bag of goodies.
Ruto has been on a five-day tour of Western Kenya.
In Nyanza, the President will convene all elected leaders from the four counties at the Kisumu State Lodge.
Here, the leadership will take stock of ongoing and stalled projects and aligning priorities areas.
“We have already been invited for the State Lodge meeting tomorrow [Friday]. We have our wish list, which we will present. We shall also review status of some of the ongoing projects,” a second-term lawmaker from Migori told the Star.
Speaking in Narok on Thursday, a confident Ruto said his administration is realising the country's national vision.
“A railway that terminates at Narok is incomplete, it does not connect with lake transport in Kisumu,” the President said.
"We are here to complete a national vision to connect Kenya, and firmly position our region as the centre of trade.
The President also said the SGR extension would enhance trade with East African countries.
"The SGR extension will position Kenya as the regional trade and logistics hub, linking Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Port of Mombasa while unlocking the economic potential of Western Kenya," he said.
The railway line will facilitate the seamless movement of goods from the Indian Ocean to the hinterland, drastically reducing the time and cost associated with cross-border trade.
Currently, thousands of trucks traverse the Nairobi-Kisumu highway daily, contributing to heavy wear and tear on the roads, frequent accidents and high transportation costs.
The shift to rail is expected to lower the cost of fuel and consumer goods in the region and boost trade flows through Kenya’s border with Uganda.
The President was accompanied by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Cabinet secretaries John Mbadi (Treasury), Davis Chirchir (Transport), Opiyo Wandayi (Energy) and National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah.
Ichung’wah described the extension of the SGR project a game changer that will turn around the economy of the Western region.
“When the first phase 2A was built to Suswa, many Kenyans termed it 'railway to nowhere'. With you [Ruto] on the driving seat the railway to nowhere is now going to somewhere,” the Kikuyu MP said.
“It will not only help the people of Narok, it will serve Bomet, Kericho, Kisumu and the whole Western Kenya, including the neighbouring counties.”
Narok Senator Ledama Olekina said the multibillion-shilling project will also gainfully engage many idle youths during the construction and operations..
“The railway network is not only a transport network but an economic tool. This will lift our people out of poverty,” Ruto said.
The launch was also without politics with Ruto allies, led by Ichung’wah and Olekina, telling the President to leave them handle the opposition amid ongoing verbal combat.
“The others resorted to insults. I want to ask you Mr President that you allow us deal with them,” Ichung’wah said.
“Your excellency, you are above these people. You preach development throughout,” Olekina said.
Regions like Nyanza have long argued they were sidelined by past governments.
Delivering major projects is likely to allow Ruto to undercut opposition messaging and give the President the bragging rights.
Analyst say v
isible, large-scale projects are easier to sell politically than abstract policies.
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