Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen signs agreement on extension of SGR to 4 countries

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced plans to expand the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to South Sudan and three other countries.

Following the signing of a joint statement on Friday, May 3, Murkomen indicated that Kenya had committed to partner with South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to expand its rail network.

According to Murkomen, the move will allow Kenya to extend the SGR from Naivasha to Kisumu before developing it to Uganda.

As part of the framework, the five countries will also seek to obtain funds for the development of the extensive SGR line.

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen with his counterparts Jimmy Gasore (Rwanda) and Fred Byamukama (Uganda) during the signing of the SGR extension communiqué on May 3, 2024.

Photo

Kipchumba Murkomen

“This historic measure seeks to enable the joint mobilization of resources, accelerate the completion of construction of the remaining sections of the SGR from Naivasha in Kenya to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and develop a roadmap that will speed up your implementation.

“The meeting further sought to harmonize the planning and development of inland water transport infrastructure in order to provide seamless multimodal transport services and accelerate the review of the Tripartite Agreement on Water Transport in Lake Victoria,” reads part of the statement.

The SGR indicated that the railway line will benefit Kenya and neighboring countries due to the projected interest among investors.

In addition, the SGR also aims to reduce the time required for the transportation of goods from the Mombasa port.

“As a country, we seek to leverage private sector partnerships in the extension of our SGR line in an effort to not only ensure smooth cross-border movement of goods and people, but also create special economic zones along the corridor that will transform areas with stopping stations in economic centers,” the CS stated.

According to the signed agreement, the five countries will finalize the contracts at the end of this month.

Meanwhile, construction of the Naivasha-Kisumu line is expected to begin in late 2024.

The standard gauge train (SGR) at Kibwezi railway station.

Photo

Kenya Railways