President William Ruto has announced that the government of Kenya will embark on an ambitious plan to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Kampala. In his address during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Devki project in Toronto, Uganda, on Sunday, November 23, 2025, Ruto said that the plans are geared at enhancing the bilateral relationship between the two nations as well as the broader trans-African trade. Ruto stated that the project will commence in January 2026. SGR extension According to Ruto, the infrastructure venture will boost the competitive economic edge of the two neighbouring countries. You Might Also Like Inside Politics Ndegwa Njiru criticises Ruto’s plan to make Kenya ‘Singapore’ News Ruto hosts Malaysian PM for dinner amid two-day state visit Inside Politics Orengo demands legal deal to secure ODM’s role in Ruto's govt “In January, we will be launching the extension of SGR from Naivasha to Kampala and onwards to join the pipeline from Malaba to DRC. We will coordinate the two governments to improve transport and logistics in our region and be more competitive and enhance collaboration,” he stated. Ruto stated that the venture is premised on Uganda’s strategic partnership with Kenya, with the landlocked country being the largest destination of goods and services from Kenya. Joint ownership of KPC During his address, Ruto also announced plans for Kenya and Uganda to jointly own and expand the Kenya Pipeline Company, a critical infrastructure for fuel supply in the region. He highlighted that the government of Kenya plans to divest up to 65 per cent of the company’s shares, creating opportunities for Ugandan investors as well as other East Africans to participate. Regional facility “I am happy that Uganda is prepared to invest with us because that Kenya Pipeline facility is not just a Kenyan facility; it is a regional facility.” “Therefore, as the government of Uganda invests in the Kenya Pipeline Company, I want to encourage Ugandans and East Africans to equally invest because we will make shares available both to public entities and to citizens of our regions so that we diversify ownership of our facilities,” he said. Ruto emphasised that the joint investment will include extending the pipeline from Eldoret through Kampala to the border, eventually connecting to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
