Kenya and Uganda have signed eight new Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen bilateral cooperation, with a strong focus on infrastructure development aimed at boosting regional connectivity and trade. The agreements were finalized during President Yoweri Museveni’s official visit to Nairobi, where he held talks with President William Ruto at State House.
A major highlight of the renewed cooperation is the recommitment to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to the Malaba border and further into Uganda. The leaders also reaffirmed plans to dual the busy Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit Road, a key section of the Northern Corridor, under a public-private partnership led by the Rift Valley Highway consortium.
Economic boost
President Ruto emphasized the strategic role of these infrastructure projects in enhancing regional integration and economic transformation. “We are accelerating the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway to Malaba and into Uganda… to ensure the smooth movement of people and goods along this critical corridor,” he said.
Kenya’s SGR, launched in 2017 with the Mombasa-Nairobi segment, was initially envisioned to extend to Uganda and other East African countries under the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP). However, lack of financing stalled progress beyond Naivasha. Uganda is independently advancing its SGR ambitions, having signed a $2.2 billion deal with Turkey’s Yapi Merkezi to build the 273 km Malaba–Kampala section.
Once connected, the SGR networks of both countries are expected to streamline cargo transit from Mombasa Port to Uganda’s interior, reducing reliance on the slower meter-gauge railway and congested roads.
The bilateral agreements also span sectors such as agriculture, trade standards, fisheries, tourism, and mining. The two nations agreed to develop the Greater Busia Metropolitan Area for joint urban planning and to harmonize quality standards enforcement through greater coordination between the Kenya Bureau of Standards and Uganda’s UNBS.
President Museveni urged African states to eliminate internal trade barriers and focus on industrialization and economic integration. “Africa must grow together. We need to remove the borders that divide our markets,” he said.
The leaders also reaffirmed support for the East African Community’s integration agenda and committed to addressing non-tariff barriers hindering trade. A follow-up Joint Ministerial Commission and Trade Committee meeting in October 2025 will monitor implementation progress. If fully realized, the planned infrastructure upgrades are expected to lower transport costs, enhance efficiency along the Mombasa–Kampala trade route, and stimulate economic activity across the region.