Kenya Railways MD pushes for unified East African railway system to boost trade

Kenya Railways Managing Director Philip Mainga has renewed calls for East African countries to move fast on a shared railway development plan, saying this is key to cutting transport costs and improving trade between neighbouring states.

Speaking during the Tanzania–Kenya Business Forum 2026 held in Dar es Salaam on Monday, Mainga said the region needs a coordinated railway system that allows trains to move freely across borders. He noted that expanding Standard Gauge Railway connections and deepening cooperation with Tanzania would help unlock economic opportunities and ease movement of goods.

He said Kenya Railways is pushing for stronger regional coordination to improve transport efficiency and attract more private investment into the sector.

“We need to implement the joint railway masterplan with standardized specifications that allow our trains to move across borders without barriers,” said Mainga. “This is how we break trade bottlenecks, decongest our roads and ports, and lower the cost of doing business across East Africa.”

Mainga said the focus on regional railway integration comes at a time when East African countries are working under shared economic frameworks aimed at improving trade and movement within the region. He added that transport systems must be efficient enough to support growing trade volumes driven by population growth and industrial expansion.

Kenya has already invested heavily in railway infrastructure through the Standard Gauge Railway, which currently runs from Mombasa to Naivasha. The line has played a major role in moving cargo from the port of Mombasa to inland destinations, easing pressure on roads and reducing travel time for goods.

Plans are also underway to extend the railway line to Kisumu and Malaba. The expansion is expected to strengthen links with neighbouring countries and open up wider trade routes into the interior of East Africa.

During the forum, Mainga also pointed to the importance of improving railway links between Kenya and Tanzania. He said better coordination between the two countries would help create smoother transport systems and support regional economic growth.

He further highlighted ongoing rehabilitation works on the Voi–Taveta railway line, saying it is an important route that could improve cross-border trade and cooperation between the two nations.

Mainga also stressed that rail transport should not operate in isolation. He said railway networks need to be connected with industrial parks and special economic zones so that goods can move faster from production points to markets. According to him, this would help make infrastructure investments more productive and support stronger regional supply chains.

Other speakers at the forum supported the call for closer cooperation. Felchesmi Mramba, Permanent Secretary in Tanzania’s Ministry of Energy, and Masanja Kadogosa, Managing Director of Tanzania Railways Corporation, said that countries in the region must align policies and standards to attract investment into railway projects.

They noted that infrastructure development alone is not enough unless countries work together on rules, planning, and implementation. Without such coordination, they warned, the full benefits of regional transport projects may not be realised.

The discussions at the forum took place against a backdrop of rising trade activity in East Africa, driven by expanding populations, growing cities, and increased industrial output. This has placed pressure on governments to upgrade transport systems and solve long-standing logistics challenges.

Participants agreed that a connected railway system could play a central role in improving trade efficiency across the region. They said better rail networks would reduce transport costs, speed up movement of goods, and strengthen economic competitiveness for East African countries.

Attention now shifts to how quickly governments can turn existing plans into working railway networks that support regional trade and economic growth.