On March 7, 2026, Kenyan President Ruto announced at the Special Summit of the East African Community that the Kenya Uganda Standard Gauge Railway project would officially start construction in Kisumu on March 20, 2026, and the Ugandan President would attend the groundbreaking ceremony. Ruto said that this railway will connect Nairobi and Kampala, significantly reducing the time for passenger and freight transportation between the two countries, lowering logistics costs, and becoming an important symbol of regional connectivity in East Africa.

Kenyan President Ruto stated that according to the relevant agreement signed by Kenya and Ukraine in March 2025, both sides plan to complete the standard gauge railway connection from Nairobi to Kampala before 2028. After the completion of the project, the travel time between the two places will be shortened from about 14 hours to 4 hours, and the freight cost is expected to decrease by about 35%.

At present, Kenya has built and put into operation standard gauge railways such as the Mombasa Nairobi Railway and the first phase of the Nairobi Malaba Railway, ensuring smooth and orderly passenger and freight transportation. According to the plan, Kenya will also promote the construction of subsequent sections of the Nairobi Malaba railway, ultimately connecting with the Ugandan railway network at the Malaba border. Keywords: Kenya, railway corridor, interconnectivity

The Kenya Ukraine Standard Gauge Railway is a key project for the East African Community to improve regional transportation infrastructure, deepen connectivity and economic cooperation. Ruto also introduced the progress of multiple transportation infrastructure projects in East Africa at the meeting, affirmed the effectiveness of Tanzania's standard gauge railway construction, and believed that the commissioning of related lines has effectively promoted regional logistics upgrading. Ruto pointed out that the implementation of a series of infrastructure projects marks significant progress by the East African Community in promoting regional integration through infrastructure. Leaders of various countries generally believe that the construction of a new transportation network will effectively boost regional trade, reduce logistics costs, and drive sustainable economic development in East Africa.Editor/Gong Ziwei