Ruto Promises KSh300 Million SGR Station in Nyamira

Presiden Ruto/PCS

President William Ruto has dismissed claims that Nyamira County will miss out on a Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) station, assuring residents that the project will include a key stop in the region.

Speaking in Nyamira on Monday, April 13, 2026, the Head of State announced that the government will construct a KSh300 million SGR station in Ikonge. He said the facility will enhance the movement of passengers and goods to Nairobi and other parts of the country.

“I am the one extending the railway from Naivasha, and here in Ikonge, I am constructing a major station worth KSh300 million that will help transport passengers and goods,” Ruto said.

“The people of Nyamira should prepare the goods they want taken to Nairobi. I am putting up a station for you,” he added.

The president is currently on a three-day development tour of Kisii and Nyamira counties, which began on Sunday, April 12, and is set to conclude on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

His remarks come amid criticism from a section of leaders in the Gusii region who accused the government of excluding Nyamira from the SGR passenger network.

Ruto reiterated that the extension of the SGR from Naivasha to Kisumu, launched on March 19, 2026, is aimed at unlocking the full economic potential of the railway. He noted that the current line is incomplete as it does not reach key production zones in western Kenya.

“A railway that terminates at Narok is incomplete because it does not reach the major production zones of western Kenya, does not connect with the lake transport system in Kisumu, and does not capture the full volume of outbound freight that sustains a modern rail economy in the eastern African region,” he said.

The president explained that the extension will link Nairobi’s industrial corridor with key agricultural counties including Narok, Bomet, Nyamira, Kericho, Busia, and Kisumu.

He noted that the region holds significant economic potential, driven by production of tea, maize, sugar, and rice, as well as a vibrant fishing industry in Lake Victoria.

According to Ruto, the 475-kilometre railway extension to Kisumu and Malaba will feature 79 bridges, eight tunnels, 376 culverts, and 26 stations. The project is estimated to cost KSh645.8 billion.