Kenya Railway MD Philip Mainga, NLC CEO Kabale Tache and other officials during a reconnaissance tour of the Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba SGR project
TOP officials from Kenya
Railways and the National Land Commission ion Monday embarked on a critical
reconnaissance visit for the Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba Standard Gauge Railway project, signalling that the long-anticipated project could soon move
from planning to action.
Among those present were NLC CEO
Kabale Tache, Kenya Railways managing director Philip Mainga, NLC director of finance and corporate planning Bernard Cherutich, and NLC director of valuation
and taxation Joel Ombati.
Speaking to the Star on
Tuesday, Tache described the visit as a significant milestone in preparing for
land acquisition and project implementation.
“We were looking at the public land
where the President can do groundbreaking for the work to begin,” she said,
highlighting the focus on publicly-owned parcels for the initial launch.
The officials held a consultative
meeting at Kodiaga prison, reviewing land parcels proposed by Kenya Railways
for the SGR groundbreaking exercise.
Tache stressed the importance of
prioritising public land, identifying potential challenges early, and ensuring
meaningful engagement with local leadership and communities.
Following detailed assessments, the
team conducted ground verification visits to Kibos and Kodiaga prison,
eventually agreeing that Kodiaga prison offered the most viable location for
the groundbreaking.
Tache said the project is
expected to be ready by June next year.
The SGR project will involve
compensation for landowners and traverse numerous properties along its route.
Tache reaffirmed NLC’s commitment to ensuring that the project is implemented
in a transparent, inclusive, and sustainable manner, benefiting all Kenyans.
Established under Article 67(1) of
the constitution of Kenya 2010, the NLC is a constitutional commission
operationalised by the National Land Commission Act, 2012, the Land Act, 2012,
and the Land Registration Act, 2012.
Section 107 of the Land Act entrusts
NLC with the mandate to carry out compulsory acquisitions on behalf of both the
national and county governments.
The process is triggered when a Cabinet
secretary or county executive committee member submits a formal request to the
commission.
Last year, Roads and Transport
Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir outlined plans to utilise the Kenya Railway
Development Levy (RDL)—charged on imported goods—to boost funding for the SGR
extension.
At the same time, the government is
advancing consultations with development partners to explore additional funding
options for the 475-kilometre line, encompassing Phase 2B (Naivasha-Kisumu) and
Phase 2C (Kisumu-Malaba), with an estimated cost of $5 billion (Sh645.8
billion).
The project, which will pass through
Narok, Bomet, Nyamira, Kisumu, and Busia counties, includes compensation for
affected individuals.
Feasibility studies, environmental
assessments, and social impact analyses have already been completed, with the
Kenyan government committing to develop the project concurrently with Uganda,
while South Sudan is also being integrated into the East Africa Rail Corridor.
Speaking at a ministerial meeting in
Nairobi, attended by his Ugandan and South Sudanese counterparts, Chirchir
highlighted Kenya’s urgency to kick-start the project, noting that Uganda is
already making headway.
“We do have a clear programme, and
we are consulting development partners on some of the financial closures that
we need to finish to fund this infrastructure. The project is not cheap,” he
said.
The Kenya Railway Development Levy
currently raises approximately Sh50 billion annually, based on the revised two
per cent levy on imported goods.
For the 2023-24 financial year, the
government collected about Sh31.7 billion under the previous 1.5 per cent rate.
The rate was increased to two per
cent effective December 27, 2024, significantly boosting expected annual
collection.
Chirchir ruled out any plans for
further increases, noting that the government is exploring alternative
financing models and partnerships.
Among these plans are proposals to
concession SGR freight operations and support neighbouring countries in
establishing logistics hubs in Kenya, positioning the country as a central hub
for regional trade and transport.
As the reconnaissance visit
concludes and the groundwork is laid, the Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba SGR Project
moves a step closer to reality, promising to reshape connectivity and economic
activity across Kenya and the wider East African region.