Luanda Member of Parliament Dick Maungu has issued a formal protest following the relocation of a planned Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) station from Luanda to Yala, warning that the move will cripple one of Western Kenya’s most vibrant commercial hubs.

The protest comes just days after President William Ruto and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni presided over the Saturday launch of the Sh 122.9billion Phase 2C SGR extension, which will link Kisumu to Malaba.

According to Maungu, the station was originally slated for Ochwore, situated near the existing Metre Gauge Railway (MGR) station at Mwibona. However, the plan was reportedly altered at the eleventh hour, moving the facility to Yala in neighboring Siaya County.

“The new SGR is passing through Luanda, but we have a problem,” Maungu stated during an NG-CDF bursary issuance at Mumboha Comprehensive School.

“For over 80 years, Luanda has hosted a station that served this entire region. To move the new station to Yala, a smaller town, is unfair and economically short-sighted.”

Luanda’s Economic Stature at Risk

The MP emphasized that Luanda is a strategic “economic zone,” home to the second-largest open-air market in Kenya after Karatina. He argued that bypassing the town denies thousands of traders the opportunity to transport goods efficiently via the new modern rail.

“Look at the turnover of money in Luanda. We have ongoing developments, including a modern market for 1,000 traders and an industrial aggregation park, all planned with the expectation of a nearby railway station,” Maungu added.

“To deny us this station is to deny our people their livelihoods.”

While the SGR extension is designed to strengthen East African trade and reduce logistics costs between Mombasa and Kampala, Maungu maintains that local “growth corridors” must not be sacrificed for regional speed.

He noted that Luanda historically serves communities across Vihiga, Siaya, and Kakamega counties, making it a more logical logistical hub than Yala.

The MP called on the Ministry of Roads and Transport to reconsider the alignment, asserting that Luanda’s infrastructure should reflect its status as a critical gateway to the Western Corridor.