Construction has begun on the Naivasha–Kisumu section of Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), following a launch event led by the President of Kenya, William Ruto, on 19 March 2026.

The ceremony took place at Narok Teachers Training College in Narok County. The President noted that the project forms part of the government’s ongoing plan to extend the SGR beyond Naivasha towards Kisumu and ultimately to Malaba, near the border with Uganda.

Kenya’s SGR programme was initiated in 2014 to replace the country’s existing metre-gauge railway, which dates back more than a century. The first phase, connecting Mombasa to Nairobi and later extended to Naivasha, is currently in operation and supports both passenger and freight services.

The section between Naivasha and Kisumu will cover approximately 264 kilometres and will include an additional 8.69-kilometre branch line linking to a planned port facility in Kisumu. A further extension from Kisumu to Malaba is planned to span around 107 kilometres, providing a rail connection towards Uganda.

The route will pass through nine counties: Narok, Bomet, Nyamira, Kericho, Kisumu, Siaya, Vihiga, Kakamega and Busia. It is intended to support the movement of goods and passengers across the region and improve connections between inland areas and the port of Mombasa.

Ultimately, the Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba extension forms part of wider plans to link Kenya’s rail network with neighbouring countries in East Africa.

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