Kenya and Uganda Advance Rail Link to Boost Regional Trade

Kenya and Uganda have advanced regional integration with the launch of the next phase of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), a corridor designed to link East Africa to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

At a ceremony in Kibos, Kisumu, Kenyan President William Ruto broke ground on the 107-kilometer (66-mile) Kisumu-Malaba segment, completing nearly 1,000 kilometers (617 miles) of continuous rail from the port of Mombasa to the Ugandan border.

The extension, due to reach Uganda by June 2026, aims to shift heavy freight from roads to rail – lowering transport costs, reducing accidents, and boosting cross-border trade.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said the project will also enable petroleum products to move via pipeline. While the SGR already connects Mombasa to Nairobi, the delayed expansion has left Kenya with substantial debt to China. Beijing has withheld additional financing until the Uganda-bound line is finished, highlighting the fiscal pressures accompanying ambitious infrastructure plans in the region.

For investors and policymakers, the SGR’s progress signals both the promise and perils of East Africa’s push for seamless regional connectivity.