Kenya Railways to set up 12 logistics hubs along SGR line to Uganda
The locations identified for the hubs include Narok, Bomet, Sotik or Kericho, Nyamira, Kisumu, Luanda or Vihiga, and Kakamega or Mumias.
The Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) has unveiled plans to establish 12 commercial and logistics hubs along the 966-kilometre Mombasa-Malaba Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line.
The hubs are part of the expansion project that aims to connect Kenya’s railway system to Uganda, improving trade and transportation in the region.
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KRC on Friday announced that the hubs will serve both the SGR and the metre gauge railway as part of the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba expansion, known as Phase 2B and 2C of the project.
“Kenya Railways intends to introduce commercial and logistic hubs in both the metre gauge railway and standard gauge railway. The approach is during the development of SGR Phase 2B and Phase 2C, adequate land be acquired as part of the project at the identified locations and the private sector participate in the development of the commercial and or logistics hub,” KRC stated.
The locations identified for the hubs include Narok, Bomet, Sotik or Kericho, Nyamira, Kisumu, Luanda or Vihiga, and Kakamega or Mumias.
Additional hubs will be set up in Busia or Malaba, Voi, Konza, Athi River, and Naivasha.
The hubs will facilitate cargo movement between Kenya and neighbouring landlocked countries, including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan.
The proposed Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba SGR section spans 369.3 kilometres and is a critical part of the overall railway network.
KRC emphasized the need to complete Kenya’s portion of the railway to align with Uganda’s SGR development.
“With the Ugandans constructing the SGR in their country, there is a need to implement the project on our end for seamless connectivity to the hinterland and avoid shift of the transport and trade route from the Northern Corridor to the Central Corridor,” KRC said.
Phase 2B includes constructing a 255-kilometre line from Narok to Kisumu, alongside modifications to Kisumu Port, such as an eight-kilometre branch line and two multi-purpose berths.
KRC highlighted that Kisumu Port has seen increased activity, with a Kenya Ports Authority report indicating it handled 90 vessels in 2022, doubling the 2018 figure.
The final phase of the project, Phase 3, will connect Malaba to Kampala, Uganda, and extend to Kigali, Rwanda. Feasibility studies and preliminary designs are ongoing as Kenya and Uganda work to finalize the railway link.
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