The announcement came during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Devki Mega Steel Project in Tororo District, Uganda, on November 23, attended by Kenyan President William Ruto and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Both leaders confirmed plans to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Kenya to Uganda and onward to Rwanda, and to co-own the Mombasa-Kampala oil pipeline.
'In January, we will be launching the extension of the SGR from Naivasha to Malaba, then to Kampala, and onwards to the Democratic Republic of Congo, passing through Rwanda. This project is aimed at improving transport and logistics across the region to enhance competitiveness,' President Ruto said.
He also confirmed progress on the pipeline: 'Joint investment of the pipeline from Eldoret through Kampala to the border with DRC and Rwanda is in an advanced stage. The governments of Kenya and Uganda have given approval to co-invest in extending this pipeline so it can serve East Africa as a jointly owned facility.'
Kenya is divesting around 60 percent of the pipeline's ownership to allow Uganda, Rwanda, and private investors to participate.
'As the governments and regional investors co-invest in the Kenya Pipeline Company, I encourage citizens of our region to equally participate. Shares will be made available to public entities, but more importantly, to citizens of our region,' Ruto added.
President Museveni praised the initiative, emphasising its broader impact on regional trade and security.
'These roads and transport systems are currently inefficient. We need to rationalise them. Fuel will go through the pipeline, while cargo and passengers will use the railway. This will allow us to co-invest up to the Congo border and ensure the secure transport of resources,' Museveni said.
Rwanda has already completed feasibility studies for the railway extension through its territory, with government officials confirming readiness to implement the project once the neighbouring countries finalise their sections.
'The studies will guide the construction process. Now, it is a matter of seeing neighbouring countries begin their sections,' Emmanuel Nuwamanya, acting Head of Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Infrastructure, told a forum organised by the African Development Bank on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Preparations for Uganda's section of the SGR from Malaba to Kampala have already begun, with Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi conducting geotechnical surveys along the 273-kilometre corridor. Most of the land has been acquired, ending nearly two decades of delays.
The projects, which include upgrading Northern Corridor roads and constructing dual carriageways linking key border towns, are expected to reduce transport costs, boost regional trade, generate thousands of jobs, and strengthen integration across East Africa, including Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
