More than 5,000 acres of land are set to be compulsorily acquired to pave the way for the expansion of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Kisumu, with plans to eventually push the line onward to Malaba at the Ugandan border. The project is being spearheaded by Kenya Railways Corporation.
Joel Ombati Nyamweya, Director of Valuation and Taxation at the National Land Commission, said the bulk of the affected parcels lie within Kisumu County. He maintained that landowners would receive fair and transparent compensation once the process begins.
The proposed Phase 2B line will stretch 263.7 kilometres from the Nairobi–Naivasha terminus, cutting through Narok, Bomet, Sotik, Sondu and Ahero before reaching Kisumu. Project plans show the works will also incorporate upgrades at Kisumu Port, including an eight-kilometre branch line, two multipurpose berths and dedicated workboat docking facilities to support maritime operations.
According to disclosures by the National Treasury, the government will inject Sh47.55 billion towards the extension from Naivasha through Kisumu to Malaba, with a substantial portion earmarked for land purchases. The full construction bill for the stretch, which currently ends in Suswa, Narok County, is estimated at Sh502.9 billion. The administration of William Ruto is seeking to secure roughly Sh455.35 billion of that amount from foreign financiers.
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The scale of compensation recalls earlier phases of the SGR. Taxpayers reportedly spent Sh30.2 billion to acquire 4,600 hectares along the Mombasa–Nairobi corridor, averaging about Sh6.56 million per acre. Payments were channelled through the Rail Development Levy after the NLC delegated disbursement responsibilities to KRC amid criticism over compensation procedures.
To strengthen oversight this time round, the commission says it will roll out digital data collection systems and set up local ground committees to manage disputes as they arise.
The expansion promises to reshape western Kenya’s transport spine, but as ever with large infrastructure, the railway’s path will be measured not only in kilometres of track but also in acres surrendered and billions exchanged.
