Northern Corridor Potential to Be Unlocked With SGR Launch to Malaba

Kenya’s extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to Malaba has raised expectations in regional trade, with leaders in Nairobi and Kampala saying the link could unlock the full potential of the Northern Corridor.

President William Ruto said at the launch that the railway’s arrival at the Uganda border marks a “defining moment” in East Africa’s integration, adding that it would cut transport costs and position Kenya as the region’s logistics hub.

“This is not just a Kenyan project, it is a regional investment that will connect our economies and make trade faster, cheaper and more efficient,” Ruto said, pledging to work with neighbouring states to ensure seamless movement of goods across borders.

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni welcomed the development, saying it removes a major constraint that had delayed Uganda’s own Standard Gauge Railway project.

Museveni said Uganda had held back on full construction of its Malaba–Kampala line pending Kenya’s progress, but signalled that Kampala would now move to accelerate its section to link with the Kenyan network.

The new stretch connects Naivasha through Kisumu to Malaba, closing a critical gap in the Northern Corridor, the main trade artery linking the port of Mombasa to landlocked countries including Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Analysts say the link could significantly reduce transit times for cargo that has long relied on road transport, easing congestion and lowering the cost of doing business across the region.

The extension from Naivasha to Kisumu and onward to Malaba is estimated to cost more than 500 billion shillings ($3.8 billion), adding to the roughly 903 billion shillings spent on the Mombasa–Nairobi section, one of Kenya’s most expensive infrastructure projects.

Kenya’s SGR, launched in 2017 between Mombasa and Nairobi and later extended to Naivasha in 2019, was designed as part of a wider regional rail network to link East African economies and shift cargo from road to rail.

Progress on the western extension had stalled for years due to financing challenges after China scaled back lending, as well as concerns over Kenya’s rising debt burden and competing fiscal priorities.

The delay left the railway terminating at Naivasha, limiting its effectiveness and drawing criticism over its commercial viability.

With the line now reaching Malaba, officials say the focus will shift to operational efficiency and cross-border coordination, as well as mobilising financing for Uganda’s section to ensure a continuous rail link.

If completed as planned, the corridor could transform freight movement from the port of Mombasa to the hinterland, offering Uganda and other inland economies faster and cheaper access to global markets.

gandae@businessdayafrica.org