The government has set aside KSh25 billion to compensate landowners affected by the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) extension, with the National Land Commission continuing public participation and land valuation in Narok on Friday, October 9.
Kenya Railways Corporation Managing Director Philip Mainga said the National Land Commission (NLC) was conducting public consultations ahead of compensation negotiations with people whose land will be affected by the project.
Mainga said the commission had also granted Kenya Railways early access to some sections of land to allow construction to proceed as valuation and negotiations with affected landowners continue.
The affected communities have expressed willingness to participate in the process and work with the government to facilitate compensation negotiations.
Speaking during a public participation session in Narok, Mzee Stephen Ruto of Kapkesosio village welcomed the project, saying it would connect Bomet County to the rest of Kenya, the East African region and beyond.
The compensation allocation comes as construction of Phase 2B of the railway advances, with work already underway in Narok and other sections of the corridor.
The railway will cover approximately 98 kilometres in Narok County, with the wider route passing through Bomet, Nyamira, Kericho, Homa Bay and Kisumu counties.
According to Kenya Railways, the project is intended to improve connectivity between production areas in western Kenya and major markets, including the Port of Mombasa.
Mainga said the railway was being developed as an SGR Economic Belt, with logistics hubs and value-addition facilities planned to support industries along the route.
In Narok, the planned economic focus includes agriculture, livestock and tourism. Bomet and Kericho are expected to benefit from logistics facilities targeting the tea industry, while Kisumu is planned to host a fish logistics hub to support storage and transportation.
The railway is also expected to facilitate the movement of locally produced commodities, including tea, coffee and sugar, towards the Port of Mombasa for export.
The government expects the project to create employment opportunities and support small businesses along the corridor under its Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
However, the pace of land acquisition and the handling of compensation will remain important as construction progresses. The National Land Commission's process includes identifying affected properties and assessing land and developments before compensation payments can proceed.
In a September update on community engagement in Narok, Kenya Railways said affected residents were being given opportunities to verify property details and raise concerns about the acquisition process.
President William Ruto launched the railway project in March 2026, with construction expected to take approximately two years. The Narok station is expected to be partially complete by June 2027.
The next stage will involve continued land valuation, engagement with affected communities and compensation arrangements as construction advances towards Kisumu and the wider Malaba corridor.
