Suna East MP and National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed has dismissed critics of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) extension during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kisumu–Malaba segment held on March 21, 2026.

Speaking at the event attended by William Ruto and Yoweri Museveni, Junet said opponents who previously criticised the project had failed to understand its long-term vision.

“Kuna wakora ambao kwa sasa wanapinga hii mambo wanaongea hawajui hii ni kazi ilianza 2016, kutoka Mombasa hadi hapo Narok na wanasema hii ni rail to nowhere lakini today it is a rail to Nairobi-Malaba-DRC and Africa at large,” he said.

He added that those he described as “walaghai” who once dismissed the project would now face embarrassment as the railway expands into a regional transport corridor.

Junet cites Raila dream in SGR expansion

Junet said the railway extension represents the fulfilment of a long-standing vision associated with the late Raila Odinga,“Baba yetu ambaye ametuwacha.”

“Dream ya Baba yetu ambaye ametuwacha, Raila Amollo Odinga, leo imekamilika. Tunataka kumshukuru Rais William Ruto kwa kuhakikisha ya kwamba ndoto ya Baba imekamilika,” he said.

Earlier in the week, President Ruto had also defended the project against critics who previously labelled it a “railway to nowhere.”

Speaking during the launch of the Naivasha section at Narok Technical Training College on March 19, he said the railway extension had always been part of a broader development plan. “It was never a road to nowhere. We had a plan,” Ruto said.

Regional link expected to boost trade

The Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba extension covers about 369 kilometres and will connect the existing SGR line from Mombasa through Naivasha to western Kenya and onward to Uganda at Malaba. The railway is expected to enhance movement of goods along the Northern Corridor, which currently relies heavily on road transport.

Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said earlier that preparations for the project were underway after inspections at Kibos in Kisumu County and Motunyi in Narok County ahead of the launch ceremony.

The event drew large crowds and brought together leaders from Kenya and Uganda, highlighting cooperation between the two countries on infrastructure development and regional connectivity within the East African Community.