President Ruto announces SGR extension to Uganda, Rwanda, DRC

President William Ruto has announced the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a move aimed at enhancing bilateral ties among the nations.

Speaking during the official opening of the 14th East African Community Inter-Parliamentary Games in Mombasa, the President explained that the deal was sealed following an agreement with the neighbouring countries to allow seamless movement from Mombasa to DRC for economic integration. 

He applauded the Kenyan MPs for using the SGR to travel to Mombasa for the games instead of using air travel.

Ordinarily, each MP would spend Ksh.70,000 taxpayers' money for a business class ticket, meaning that 140 MPs would cost Ksh.9.8 million.

For SGR, it is estimated that the MPs spent an average of Ksh.3.3 million.

"The Speaker informed us that they used the SGR with 140 MPs from the Kenyan Parliament to Mombasa," Ruto said.

"I want to give you more good news, we have agreed with Uganda, Rwanda and DRC that the SGR will be extended from Naivasha to Uganda, and Rwanda to DRC so that in a few years, they too can use the SGR when they want to come to Mombasa."

The new project is expected to breathe life into the East African region by opening trade corridors and enabling access to tourist destinations that were previously difficult to reach.

Already, Uganda has laid the groundwork for the project as the construction of SGR will begin in phases, beginning with the Malaba to Kampala line in January next year.

For the project to be complete, it is expected to take 48 months to build the 272 km railway line. 

During the launch of the project last month, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni explained that the SGR line would reduce the transportation of goods from 14 days to 24 hours.

"Works on the Naivasha-Malaba section by our Kenyan counterparts will start very soon. The two countries have agreed on the timelines of the two projects to ensure seamless movement of trains from Kampala to Mombasa,” Museveni remarked.