"Kenya and Uganda inaugurated the 107-kilometre Kisumu-Malaba section of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) on Saturday, signalling a major step towards integrating the southeastern Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa with other East African countries to boost regional trade. Footage shows Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Kenyan President William Ruto performing the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2C of the railway extension in Kenya's Kisumu County. The extension is part of a broader regional railway network connecting Mombasa, Nairobi, Naivasha, Kisumu, Malaba, and eventually Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The project is expected to be completed by 2028, reducing travel time from about 14 hours to four and cutting freight costs by 35 percent, a move officials say will improve the movement of goods between Uganda and the Kenyan coast. "Two days ago, we broke ground for the extension of the SGR from Narok to Kisumu. A distance of 264 kilometres that forms Phase 2B of this railway network," Ruto announced. "This railway line will serve our partner states in the region," he added. "It is a powerful statement of regional integration, partnership and shared ambition." He noted that the railway line from Suswa through Kisumu to Malaba, a border town located on the Kenya-Uganda border, will unlock Kenya’s economic potential and benefit the entire East African region. The SGR line was built by Chinese companies between 2013 and 2019 and currently connects Mombasa to Nairobi, and then to Naivasha. The project is intended to connect to Uganda’s Malaba-Kampala line and onwards."