NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto has intensified his political confrontation with former President Uhuru Kenyatta, suggesting that opposition leaders criticising his administration could be benefiting from money linked to the controversial construction of Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
Speaking during a church service in Narok on Sunday, November 15, Ruto challenged opposition politicians who have cited a recent World Bank report to accuse his administration of corruption, arguing that they were selectively using the findings to attack him.
The President’s remarks followed criticism from opposition leaders, including Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who highlighted the World Bank’s findings during the burial of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s sister in Nyeri on Saturday.
The World Bank’s November 2026 Kenya Economic Update, its 34th edition, estimated that Kenya could have saved up to US$900 million (approximately Sh117 billion) during the initial construction of the Mombasa-Nairobi railway had the project matched Tanzania’s cost per kilometre.
Ruto, however, questioned why his political opponents were focusing on the report’s criticism while overlooking what he described as positive findings about his government’s performance.
Ruto Defends Government Over World Bank Report
The President also claimed his administration had pushed for the economic update to be made public, saying the findings would ordinarily be shared with the government rather than openly released.
“It was this Kenyan government, which I lead, that insisted on having an open report. Typically, such reports are provided exclusively to the government; I said no, let it be made public so that the citizens know what is happening,” he said.
Ruto accused his critics of reading the 52-page document selectively, pointing to its discussion of digital reforms and improvements in government systems.
The World Bank report does acknowledge that platforms such as eCitizen and iTax have helped reduce discretion and improve access to information. However, it also cautions that their impact remains uneven, with manual processes and loopholes continuing to create opportunities for illicit payments.
Ruto Suggests Opposition Could Be Benefiting From SGR Money
The President’s sharpest remarks were directed at the opposition’s criticism of the SGR project, which was developed under Uhuru’s administration when Ruto served as Deputy President.
Ruto suggested that politicians attacking his government could themselves be benefiting from resources associated with the railway project.
“The SGR project from Mombasa to Nairobi was initiated during a different period. You make many claims, perhaps funded by the very resources linked to the SGR that the World Bank highlights,” he said.
The remarks revived Ruto’s long-running accusations that Uhuru is financing political forces seeking to challenge his administration ahead of the 2027 General Election.
What the World Bank Found About Kenya’s SGR
In its November 2026 economic update, the World Bank compared the construction cost of Kenya’s Mombasa-Nairobi railway with two other regional projects.
The report placed Kenya’s railway construction cost at US$7.6 million per kilometre, compared with US$5.7 million for Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam-Dodoma line and US$5.3 million for the Djibouti-Addis Ababa railway.
Using Tanzania’s cost benchmark, the Bank estimated that Kenya could have saved up to US$900 million in initial construction costs.
It attributed at least 30 per cent of the potential additional expenditure to governance challenges, including direct contracting instead of competitive tendering, land speculation and fraud involving land titling, valuation and compensation payments.
The report also cautioned that railway construction costs are affected by different technical and geographical conditions. It noted, for instance, that the Ethiopian railway traverses more mountainous terrain and a greater elevation range.
The findings raise questions about value for money in a project that has placed a significant financial burden on Kenyan taxpayers.
SGR Construction Under Uhuru’s Administration
The Mombasa-Nairobi SGR was completed in 2017 at a reported cost of approximately Sh327 billion, with Uhuru officially launching the railway in May of that year.
The Nairobi-Naivasha extension subsequently cost approximately Sh150 billion, taking the railway further into the Rift Valley and ending at Suswa in Narok County.
The project was developed during Uhuru’s presidency, when Ruto served as his deputy between 2013 and 2022.
Despite their shared time in government, the two leaders have since become political rivals, with Ruto repeatedly accusing his predecessor of supporting opposition activities aimed at weakening his administration.
Ruto’s Government Revives SGR Extension to Malaba
Ruto’s administration has also moved to extend the railway beyond Naivasha, with the planned route passing through Narok, Bomet and Kisumu before reaching Malaba at the Ugandan border.
The President presided over the launch of the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba SGR extension in March 2026, presenting it as a major infrastructure investment intended to improve regional trade and transport.
The project has since attracted fresh scrutiny over its financing and projected costs. An earlier estimate placed the extension at Sh502.9 billion, while a later Treasury disclosure reported a budget of approximately Sh651 billion.
The new railway extension has therefore added another dimension to the debate over the cost, financing and economic value of major infrastructure projects in Kenya.
As the 2027 election approaches, the SGR findings have become part of a wider political contest over accountability for past projects and the performance of the current administration.
Opposition leaders have pushed back against Ruto’s claims about Uhuru’s alleged political sponsorship. Kalonzo has challenged the President to confront his political rivals directly instead of repeatedly invoking the former Head of State, who is not seeking the presidency in the 2027 election.
