Turkish construction giant Yapi Merkezi Holdings AS is in discussions with the Kenyan government to electrify the standard gauge railway (SGR). This move would enable a seamless connection with a new electric line under construction in neighboring Uganda.
The proposed upgrade would align Kenya’s existing SGR with the €2.7 billion ($3.2 billion) electric railway that Yapi Merkezi is currently building from the Kenyan border town of Malaba to Uganda’s capital, Kampala.
Yapi Merkezi Vice Chairman Erdem Arıoğlu confirmed the talks during an interview in Nairobi on Thursday, noting that electrification would modernize Kenya’s transport infrastructure and enhance the efficiency of regional trade.
“The goal is to create a fully integrated, electric railway network between Kenya and Uganda,” Arıoğlu said. “This would significantly reduce travel time, operational costs, and carbon emissions across East Africa’s main transport corridor.”
Kenya’s SGR, constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation and inaugurated in 2017, currently runs on diesel from the port city of Mombasa to Naivasha. The SGR extension from Naivasha to Kisumu and on to Malaba (Phase 2B/2C) was launched in March 2026, with construction set to begin officially to link the existing line to the Ugandan border, enhancing regional trade.
The extension includes a 264 km line from Naivasha to Kisumu, a 107 km segment from Kisumu to Malaba, and a branch to the new Kisumu Port, aiming for completion by June 2027.
Electrifying the line would mark a major boost to the region and strengthen Kenya’s position as a regional logistics hub.
If successful, the project would link the Port of Mombasa to Kampala through a continuous electric railway system, boosting economic integration and supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area’s goals of seamless cross-border transport.
