Groundbreaking for SGR extension to Kisumu set for March 2026

The government is set to begin identifying and compensating persons that will be affected by the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) extension project, whose groundbreaking has been set for March.

Speaking in Kisumu on Tuesday, Kenya Railways MD Philip Mainga indicated that phase 2B of the line will be completed by June 2027, opening up the Western region for the movement of goods and services.

Two months after Cabinet gave a greenlight for the phase 2B of the 269 km SGR, leaders convened in Kisumu for a detailed brief on the project’s scope and timeline.

Mr. Mainga called for close collaboration in community sensitization, especially regarding the acquisition of 5,000 acres of land required for the SGR corridor.

“The route has been finalised, identified and costed. We cannot change it simply because if you change even 100 metres of a railway line it will go offline. It is not like a road,” he said.

Kisumu West MP Roza Buyu said: ”We know that the areas that are mapped will knock off one of our schools. We know that homes are going to be affected, so my people are really eager to hear from Kenya Railways on the issue of compensation.”

The rail will feature a 264 km mainline, and an 8.6 km line branching to the Kisumu port. It will also have a 4,000 tonnes freight capacity.

Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o said: “Kisumu stands to emerge as a multimodal logistics hub. It integrates rail, lake transport and road networks. This synergy will unlock commerce in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and beyond.”

President William Ruto will lead groundbreaking on March 20, 2026.

This extension project is not only expected to ease the movement of people but also open up the region for more trade prospects.