President William Ruto has announced plans to build railway stations in four towns in Taita Taveta County as Kenya prepares to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) towards Tanzania.
The stations will be built in Mwatate, Bura, Mwakitau and Taveta along the proposed railway line.
Ruto made the announcement on Thursday, October 1, while speaking to residents of Mwatate during his visit to the county.
The President said construction of the railway was already progressing towards Mwakitau.
“Recently I stood here, and you told me you want business between you and Tanzanians to run smoothly. Besides the roads in this era, you urged me to build you a railway,” Ruto said.
“The rail is already underway. Some had discouraged me from building it, but the rail is already in operation, and it is in Mwakitau. Now the railway has reached Mwakitau, and it is proceeding well,” he added.
Ruto said the stations would make it easier for residents and traders to use the railway to move people and goods.
“I want to assure you that in the construction of the railway, to make it easy for the transportation of people and goods, we will build a station here in Mwatate and also in Bura. We will build a station in Mwakitau too,” he said.
The proposed SGR extension is expected to run from Voi through Mwatate, Bura, Mwakitau and Taveta before crossing into Tanzania.
The government has set aside about Ksh5 billion for the proposed extension, which is expected to improve passenger and cargo movement between Kenya and Tanzania.
SGR Project Separate From MGR Rehabilitation
The announcement comes as the government works on a separate railway project in the same region.
Kenya is currently rehabilitating the 130-kilometre Voi-Taveta Metre Gauge Railway (MGR), which had remained out of operation for nearly two decades.
Ruto launched the Ksh5.5 billion rehabilitation project on April 10, 2026, saying it would restore an important transport link between Kenya and northern Tanzania.
The MGR rehabilitation is separate from the proposed SGR extension.
Kenya Railways reported in July that 70 per cent of the earthworks for the Voi-Taveta MGR had been completed.
Kenya has meanwhile been pursuing plans to extend the SGR from Voi towards Tanzania, while Tanzania is also working on its own SGR expansion to connect with Kenya at the border.
