By Train
Kisumu as a town, and arguably even Kenya as a country owns some or or most of their existance to the railway. That railway, originally the Uganda Railway, was supposed to link Momabas with the prized British posession of the source of the Nile in Uganda. It was started in 1886 and, to make a long story short, reached Lake Victoria in 1900.
In the past decades the Kenyan Railway have not been doing well. Little maintenance, bad management and several accidents caused KR to shut down some of their passenger connections. Recently the Nairobi - Kisumu line has been reopened. At the end of 2006, management of both the Kenya and the Ugandan railways has been granted to a consortium called Rift Valley Railways. It can be expected that a period of catching-up with respect to maintenance, staffing, and rolling stock is needed. If you want to travel by rail, check at Nairobi Station for the latest situation and schedules.
As mentioned, there is a scheduled passenger service between Nairobi and Kisumu, departing from Nairobi Central Station and Kisumu Station. Check at the stations for for information. There also is a scheduled service between Kisumu and Butere (a few times a week). This is a very scenic drive that can be done as day trip: in the morning up the escarpment to Butere and in the afternoon back. Check at Kisumu Railway Station.
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