Colonialists prioritized transport network in order to facilitate development of legitimate trade. The colonial government built infrastructure such as roads, railways, and harbors. The roads and railways were built majorly to connect the coast and the interior thus easing transportation of goods from one place to another. The Mombasa- Kisumu railway was called the Uganda railway. It was called so because up to 1902 the land almost fifty miles to the west of Nairobi was in Uganda.
Secondly, Britain was interested in Uganda as a source of river Nile. In terms of raw materials, Uganda was richer than Kenya, for example, it was rich in cotton that Britain needed at the time. The idea of constructing the Uganda railway had started as far back as 1892 when Lord Salisbury was the British prime Minister (1886 -1892). Also, in the same period William Mackinnon of IBEAC could not manage it because of huge funds required in its construction. Lord Salisbury wanted to establish the effective occupation in distant areas from the coast.
The Uganda Railway was constructed due to a number of reasons among them: 1. The British constructed the railway to establish a firmer and effective control over their sphere of influence (Uganda and Kenya). 2. It was also intended to ease the transportation of military personal, colonialist, arms and administrators in Uganda. 3. It was built to help in the elimination of slave trade. It would enable the abolitionists move into the interior and also provide an alternative means of transport- slaves would no longer be needed to carry the goods. 4. It was purposely built to open up the interior for trade and commerce. It would in otherwise enable East Africa to trade with the outside world. 5. The line was meant to encourage cash crop growing like cotton, coffee, tea etc. which would lead to development. This is why it was only extended to areas of agricultural potential. 6. It was built to provide a cheaper, quicker and easier means of transport. 7. It was constructed to ease the work and movement of missionaries who wanted to “civilize” Africans. It was also to provide quick military help in case of attack on the missionaries.