SGR To Extend Into Nairobi CBD To Eliminate Last-Mile Transport Nightmare

In a major infrastructure development destined to redefine urban mobility within the capital, the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) has officially unveiled plans to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line directly from the Nairobi Terminus in Syokimau into the heart of the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD).

According to engineering and procurement blueprints obtained by this publication, the state-owned corporation has formally initiated the process to contract a firm to design and construct a 15-kilometer high-capacity SGR railway link. The critical rail extension is designed to bridge a glaring, decade-long transit gap that has routinely inconvenienced travelers arriving from Mombasa and Suswa, forcing them to navigate heavy traffic via matatus, taxis, or the slower commuter Metre Gauge Railway (MGR) to reach the city center.

Once the project is completed, passengers will enjoy the seamless convenience of boarding or exiting the high-speed SGR trains directly at the Nairobi Central Station. According to the structural designs, the new 15-kilometer SGR track will run adjacent to the current MGR corridor, cutting through densely populated industrial and residential hubs including Embakasi, Imara Daima, Donholm, and Makadara before terminating in the CBD.

To maximize the economic and social utility of the new track, Kenya Railways plans to establish modern, localized passenger stations at Imara Daima, Makadara, and within the CBD itself. The selected contractor will also be tasked with executing complex civil engineering works, including the construction of a new railway bridge over the Mukuru River and the complete reconstruction and reinforcement of the historic Likoni road bridge.

While KRC has kept the exact budgetary allocations for this specific 15-kilometer link confidential, independent urban planners note that the extension serves as a vital structural anchor for the ongoing Sh28 billion Nairobi Railway City project. This mega-development aims to transform 425 acres of underutilized railway land into a world-class, multi-modal transit hub. By drawing thousands of daily commuters off the heavily congested Mombasa Road and onto the tracks, the project is expected to drastically slash transit times, lower household transport costs, and clean up the city’s carbon footprint.

The urban rail expansion kicks off at a time of unprecedented activity for the corporation. On July 1, 2026, Kenya Railways formally commenced physical construction on the long-awaited Sh700 billion SGR extension stretching from Naivasha through Kisumu to the Malaba border post.

This massive cross-country project—originally launched by President William Ruto during a high-profile state ceremony on March 18—has been strategically split into two primary phases. The first phase, designated as Phase 2B, covers a grueling 264-kilometer stretch from Naivasha to Kisumu and features a dedicated 8.69-kilometer branch line hooking directly into the refurbished Kisumu Port to optimize regional maritime cargo movement. The subsequent phase, Phase 2C, will span 107 kilometers from Kisumu to Malaba, cutting through Siaya, Vihiga, Kakamega, and Busia counties to seamlessly link Kenya’s economic pipeline to the broader East African Community market.