After eight years of delays, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has officially launched the construction of Uganda’s 272-kilometer Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Malaba to Kampala.
The groundbreaking ceremony, held in Tororo, marks the start of a four-year project to revolutionize Uganda’s railway network, spearheaded by Yapı Merkezi, a leading Turkish construction company.
This milestone follows the signing of a €2.7 billion contract on October 14, 2024, between the Government of Uganda and Yapı Merkezi. With this agreement, the long-awaited SGR project has moved from planning to active construction.
In his remarks, President Museveni underscored the transformative impact of the SGR on Uganda’s economy and regional integration. “The SGR will reduce transit times from 14 days on the existing railway to just 24 hours. These delays being solved will significantly reduce the cost of doing business,” he said.
The SGR is expected to bring numerous benefits, including:
A more than 50% reduction in the cost of freight movement.
Faster and more efficient transit times.
Elimination of carbon emissions, promoting environmental sustainability.
Enhanced connectivity with neighboring countries.
The Malaba-Kampala segment represents the first phase of Uganda’s ambitious 1,700-kilometer SGR network, which will also include Western and Northern routes to connect Uganda with Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and South Sudan.
The project aligns with Uganda’s regional integration goals, particularly with neighboring Kenya. Construction on Kenya’s Naivasha-Malaba section is set to begin soon, ensuring seamless rail connectivity between Kampala and Mombasa. Both nations have synchronized their project timelines to facilitate uninterrupted train movement between the two countries, strengthening trade and cooperation in East Africa.
The SGR is expected to play a pivotal role in enhancing Uganda’s competitiveness. By slashing freight costs and transit delays, businesses will operate more efficiently, boosting the country’s position as a regional trade hub.
President Museveni expressed optimism about the SGR’s potential to unlock Uganda’s economic potential, linking it to the broader vision of industrialization and cross-border trade.
With construction now underway, Uganda embarks on a journey toward a modernized transport infrastructure that promises to drive economic growth and regional connectivity.
