Construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Phase 2B line from Naivasha to Kisumu will commence between March 18 and 20, 2026, the Managing Director of Kenya Railways Corporation, Philip Mainga, has announced.
Speaking during a high-level stakeholder meeting in Kisumu on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Mainga said the long-anticipated 264-kilometre stretch will be officially launched in Kisumu and Narok, marking the beginning of a project expected to be completed within 12 months.
“This project is about to start in March between the 18th and 20th. On that date, we are going to launch it here in Kisumu and Narok. We expect this project to take almost 12 months and, by June 2027, it should be completed, depending on other issues, including land compensation,” said Eng. Mainga.
He underscored that timely access to land remains the most critical factor in delivering the project within schedule. The authority is currently undertaking public sensitisation and stakeholder engagement to facilitate smooth implementation.
The project will be officially launched in the Kibos area of Kisumu, near the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) facilities and the Inland Container Depot (ICD), with both county and national government leaders expected to attend. Mainga confirmed that the multi-billion-shilling infrastructure undertaking is fully funded by the Government of Kenya.
“We came here for sensitisation and communication on the SGR project. Depending on how quickly we get access to the land, we assure Kenyans that by June 2027, the project will be completed. We have agreed with the county and national governments that we will launch the project in the Kibos area next week. The Regional County Commissioner and the Governor will support us to ensure its success. The project will be fully funded by the Government of Kenya,” he said.
On energy requirements, Mainga revealed that an assessment of national power capacity had been conducted in anticipation of future railway electrification. He said Kenya’s current installed capacity of approximately 3,000 megawatts would need to increase to about 10,000 megawatts before the government can allocate sufficient power for electrified train operations.
“We have assessed the availability of power in Kenya. We want the government to increase generation from 3,000 megawatts to about 10,000 megawatts. When we reach that level, we can engage on allocating power for railway electrification. Currently, our consumption is high because trains move across long distances,” he added.
Kisumu Governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o described the Phase 2B project as a transformative milestone in enhancing transport capacity, efficiency, speed, and reliability in the Lake Region. He expressed optimism that residents would benefit from employment opportunities during construction and from expanded economic activity once the railway becomes operational.
The proposed SGR Phase 2B line will form a critical link in Kenya’s railway network, strengthening connectivity between the Lake Region and the broader national and regional transport corridors.
Key Components of the Project
79 railway bridges spanning approximately 43 kilometres.
8 tunnels with a combined length of 14.26 kilometres.
376 culverts covering approximately 7 kilometres.
26 stations in the initial phase, comprising one major station, six intermediate stations, eighteen crossing stations, and one freight port facility.
An 8.68-kilometre branch line linking the main railway to the proposed Kisumu Port, including one bridge and eight culverts.
Once complete, the Naivasha–Kisumu SGR line is expected to significantly improve freight and passenger movement, boost intermodal connectivity between rail and Lake Victoria transport, and catalyse economic growth across western Kenya and the wider East African region.
