The sudden and seamless flow of traffic along the Northern Corridor between Bungoma and Malaba has now vanished after President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, launched the SGR extension from Kisumu to Malaba over the weekend.

The unexpected change has come barely two days after a high-level meeting between the two heads of state in Kisumu, where they agreed to hold frequent consultations as a long-term solution to persistent trailer congestion along the busy highway.

For years, the Northern Corridor has been plagued by traffic jams largely attributed to long-distance truck drivers, often resulting in delays stretching for kilometres from Bungoma to the Malaba border. 

Residents raise concerns

Residents and business people have raised questions and are wondering why a problem that persisted for decades appears to have been resolved almost overnight.

A resident, David Ariku, expressed disbelief at the sudden decongestion, alleging that the gridlock had long been artificially sustained.

“It is unbelievable that the jam disappears at the press of a button, just after the meeting between the two leaders. Must we wait for the presidents to meet before restoring sanity?” he posed.

Ariku, who volunteers along the busy Aleles stretch, said he has been assisting in traffic control and helping fatigued drivers find basic amenities.

“I help decongest the road and guide drivers to toilets and places to freshen up. The little I earn supports my family and pays school fees,” he said.

He also raised concerns over poor sanitation, noting that in some areas, truck drivers resort to relieving themselves in plastic bottles and discarding them along the roadside, posing health risks, especially to children.

“In places like Kiambu and Machakos, facilities have been provided. But here in Teso, the situation is worrying. Children may mistake the contents for juice,” he added.

Another resident, Francis Paul Otwane, echoed similar sentiments, expressing surprise at the rapid change in traffic conditions.

Otwane urged the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to enforce stricter regulations to ensure that long-distance trucks are properly serviced, reducing breakdowns that often contribute to congestion.

The meeting between the two presidents took place during the commissioning of the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Kisumu—an infrastructure project expected to significantly boost regional trade.

Kisumu-Malaba SGR extension

The next phase of the 107-kilometre railway will link Kisumu to Malaba and eventually connect Kenya to Uganda and the wider East African region.

The broader Mombasa–Malaba corridor is expected to spur the development of industrial parks and special economic zones in towns such as Busia and Kisumu. Uganda has already awarded the Malaba–Kampala section, with plans to extend the railway further to Kasese.

The SGR, constructed between 2013 and 2019, currently runs from Mombasa to Nairobi and onwards to Naivasha.

However, its planned extension to Uganda stalled after China declined to provide additional financing.

Kenya continues to spend approximately Ksh129.3 billion annually servicing debt tied largely to the railway project—far exceeding the roughly Ksh21.3 billion generated in revenue last year, despite increased passenger and cargo uptake.