Kenya's Motorists Association has warned that the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba railway extension will shift most cargo from roads to rail, weakening the highway-dependent economy.
The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) issued a statement on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, expressing concerns over the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Phase 2B from Naivasha to Kisumu and then Malaba. MAK argues that the line, once operational, will divert the bulk of transit cargo currently moved by trucks along the Northern Corridor to rail, undermining the road transport sector. Towns such as Mai Mahiu, Naivasha, Nakuru, Eldoret, and Webuye, which rely on long-haul trucking, risk economic decline, the group said. “Once fully operational, this railway will absorb almost all transit cargo that currently depends on road transport. Goods that today flow along the Northern Corridor... would instead move efficiently by rail,” MAK stated. It further warned that places like Mariakani, Mazeras, Samburu, Makinon, Mtito Makindu, Emali, Kikopey, Mau Summit, and others up to Malaba could become ghost towns without road freight activity. MAK questioned the value of ongoing road projects, including the Rironi-Mau Summit dual carriageway set for completion in June 2027, calling it duplication amid parallel rail development. “Investing billions in expanding highways while simultaneously developing a parallel railway corridor raises serious concerns about duplication and value for money,” the association said. President William Ruto launched the project on March 19. The 264km Naivasha-Kisumu section and 107km Kisumu-Malaba extension total over 370km at a cost of Ksh 500 billion, passing through nine counties and due by June 2027 to improve links between the Rift Valley, Nyanza, and Western Kenya. MAK also highlighted risks from foreign firms, such as those from China, in such projects.