By SHABAN MAKOKHA
March 22, 2026| A fresh storm is brewing in Vihiga County after plans emerged to relocate the proposed Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) station away from the historic Mwibona railway hub—sparking fears that an 80-year-old legacy is being erased.
The controversy follows the high-profile launch of the SGR extension from Kisumu to Malaba by President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni. While the initial plan had placed the station in Siaya, the latest proposal suggests a shift to Yala, leaving the bustling commercial town of Luanda in the cold.
The final phase of the multi-billion-shilling project, which will complete the railway link to Uganda, comes with a price tag of Sh650 billion. It stretches from Naivasha through Kisumu to Malaba, yet local leaders say the new alignment bypasses a community that has been intrinsically tied to the railway for nearly a century.
Luanda MP Dickson Maungu (pictured) has led the charge against the realignment, terming it a calculated move to strip Luanda Town of its rightful place on the modern rail network. For generations, Mwibona has been more than just a stop—it was the pulse of the region. Traders scheduled market days around the train timetable, families bid emotional goodbyes at its platforms, and agricultural produce from Luanda, Emuhaya, and beyond flowed seamlessly to Kisumu and Nairobi via this modest but iconic stop.
Today, Maungu warns, that heritage stands on the brink of being wiped out.
“Mwibona is not just a place—it is our identity. It has been our railway home for 80 years. Why erase our history now?” the MP questioned passionately.
Speaking while disbursing bursary cheques worth Sh65 million to over 13,000 students, Maungu accused project planners of pushing through the SGR realignment without meaningful public participation. He noted that Luanda hosted the colonial-era meter-gauge railway station for over eight decades, and excluding it from the new line is an injustice to locals.
“Mwibona is not just a point on the map; it is our history, our identity, and our economic anchor,” he declared. “For over 80 years, Luanda has hosted a railway station. How can we suddenly be excluded from the new SGR line without justification?”
The anxiety among residents is palpable, with the local economy hanging in the balance. The bustling Luanda Market, a lifeline for traders, thrives on the movement of goods and people—movement that was long fueled by the rhythm of the old railway line.
As the government gears up for the construction of Phase II of the SGR—launched at Kibos in Kisumu at an estimated cost of Sh122.9 billion—residents of Luanda are now asking a simple question: What happens to the town that helped build the railway’s legacy?