Construction Restarts on Kenya, China’s Standard Gauge Railway

Kenyan President William Ruto speaks during the construction launch of the Kisumu-Malaba Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) section in Kisumu, on March 21, 2026.

Construction has resumed on Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway, following a long pause due to debt woes. The Kenyan government has announced a new agreement with Chinese financiers and contractors that will see the completion of the two final phases of the landmark cross-frontier railway system.

The government of President William Ruto said China Communications Construction Co. and its subsidiary China Road and Bridge Corp. will finish the final two sections of the Standard Gauge Railway at a cost of $5.4 billion.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest news and analysis from Africa, Asia, and across the Global South.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China’s relations across the Global South.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

Detected IP: ...

Create a free account, or log in.

Gain access to limited free articles, exclusive research & analysis, news updates, and podcasts.

Yes! I would like to receive new content and updates.