The project to build a modern railway and oil pipeline connecting Rwanda to other East African Community countries could resume in early 2026.
Kenyan President Dr. William Samoei Ruto, who was with Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at the inauguration of a steel mill in Tororo district on November 23, said that Kenya will begin construction of a railway line from Naivasha in January 2026.
He said, “Mr. President, in January, we will begin work on extending the railway line from Naivasha to Kampala, connecting with the oil pipeline from Malaba to Kampala, and continuing to the DRC. This investment will bring together two governments, it will help us improve transport in our region so that we can be stronger because we want regional integration.”
President Museveni explained that the railway will also reach Rwanda, saying, “We will go from Kampala, to Bwera, to Kasese, then to Rwanda, then to South Sudan. What is happening here shows that the future is very bright. The best is yet to come.”
In May 2024, Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure, Dr. Gasore Jimmy, and his Ugandan and Kenyan counterparts signed an agreement to resume the project that began more than 10 years ago.
The ministers agreed to establish a mechanism that will help them monitor the implementation of this project, which was considered abandoned, so that any obstacles that arise can be addressed early.
“We want to partner with the private sector to expand this railway line, in order to facilitate the movement of people and goods,” said former Kenyan Minister of Roads and Transport, Kipchumba Murkomen.
The ‘Northern Corridor’ project is an addition to another long-standing East African Community (EAC) railway project, which was originally planned to run from Tanzania to Rwanda.
On this road from Tanzania, Rwanda has already set out the route, from the Rusumo border, to Kicukiro in Kigali and Bugesera International Airport.
The Director of Planning at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Emmanuel Nuwamanya, announced on November 12, 2025, that Rwanda is ready to implement this project because its study has been completed.
He said, “We have completed the study, we are waiting for our neighbors to do their part, and then we will continue. […] When they finish their part, we say that now we can take over, then we will continue. Since these are projects between our neighbors, we must move forward together.”
Kenya has a project to build an oil pipeline from the port of Mombasa on the Indian Ocean, to Nairobi, and then to Eldoret District. After agreement with neighboring countries, it was planned that it would continue to Kampala and Kigali in Rwanda.
President Ruto told Museveni that preparations for the implementation of the project to build an oil pipeline connecting countries in the region have reached a high level, as the Governments of Kenya and Uganda can now begin working together to expedite it.
“Mr President, let me reiterate that the joint investment in the Eldoret-Kampala-Rwanda pipeline has reached a high level. We have committed our two governments to work together to invest in the expansion of this project that will benefit East Africa.”
The Ugandan government commended President Ruto for Kenya’s consideration of expanding the pipeline project to regional countries, noting that this is in line with the East African Community’s vision for trade cooperation.
It is envisaged that once the pipeline reaches the Rwandan border, it will continue to Kigali. The $5 billion project is expected to eliminate the cost these countries have been paying for transportation from Mombasa.
