Joint site inspections are underway in Kisumu County as Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) and the National Land Commission (NLC) move to finalize land acquisition and technical alignment requirements for key facilities under Phase 2B of the Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project.

Officials from KRC and NLC conducted field assessments at Kibos and Chiga, where they reviewed architectural concept plans and site layout documents against existing ground conditions along the proposed railway corridor.

Kibos has been earmarked for the proposed Kisumu Passenger Terminus, while Chiga will host a freight marshaling yard designed to facilitate cargo sorting, train assembly and freight logistics operations.

Speaking during the inspections, Daniel Muriungi, Chairman of the National Land Valuation Committee, said the planned facilities are expected to improve connectivity, ease the movement of passengers and goods, expand market access and support industrial growth in the region.

Muriungi noted that the inspections form part of the land acquisition, statutory surveying and compensation processes that must be completed before major construction activities can begin.

The passenger terminus at Kibos and freight yard at Chiga are expected to facilitate multimodal transport, linking rail services with lake transport and regional road networks across western Kenya.

However, securing site access and resolving land ownership and tenure claims in the affected areas remain important steps towards handing over clear construction sites to engineering, procurement and construction contractors.

He said that the NLC would spearhead land valuation, boundary verification and identification of affected households along the railway route.

As part of the ongoing engagements, the delegation also visited the proposed Ahero intermediate passengers’ station and the planned road-over-rail crossing at Boya along the Kericho–Ahero B1 road.

The intermediate passenger station will be set up to serve communities along the corridor while the passing and crossing station aims at easing train movement and managing traffic along the line.

The visits focused on assessing site conditions and reviewing land requirements for the proposed infrastructure.

Following the contractor’s pegging of the proposed land, Kenya Railways surveyors are conducting pre-acquisition surveys to establish the exact land requirements before submitting the findings to the NLC to inform the compulsory land acquisition process.

Phase 2B of the SGR project covers approximately 264 kilometres between Naivasha and Kisumu, traversing parts of Nakuru, Narok, Bomet, Kericho and Kisumu counties.

A subsequent Phase 2C extension is planned to connect Kisumu to Malaba, near the Kenya–Uganda border.

The wider project plans also include a proposed 8.7-kilometre spur line linking the railway to Kisumu Port on Lake Victoria to support cargo movement.

Once operational, the railway is expected to improve passenger mobility, increase freight-handling capacity, strengthen regional trade and connect communities and businesses to wider economic opportunities.

By Robert Ojwang’