The government of Uganda led by President Yoweri Museveni officially launched construction the standard gauge railway project. This marks a transformative step in the country’s transport and economic development.
The launch ceremony follows the signing on October of a contract with Yapi Merkezi, a Turkish construction firm for the development of the project. Yapı Merkezi’s involvement marks a new chapter, further supported by a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2022, with formal negotiations concluded in 2024.
Uganda Standard Gauge Railway
The railway is part of a larger vision to connect Uganda and Kenya to the Indian Ocean via the Port of Mombasa, potentially extending westward to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Malaba-Kampala railway will be fully electrified and built to European and American standards, with a design speed of 120 km/h. It will feature two major stations, four medium stations, a marshalling yard, and three freight terminals. This railway is expected to carry 25 million tons of freight annually, playing a vital role in regional connectivity.
The first segment of its planned SGR project will cover 272 km of the overall 1,700 km electric railway. It will link Uganda’s capital, Kampala, to Malaba on the Kenyan border, connecting to Kenya’s railway network and ultimately the port of Mombasa. The $3 billion project, slated to begin in November 2024, is expected to take 48 months to complete.
Uganda aims to shift cargo transport to railways and waterways to relieve overcrowded roads. According to President Museveni, the current transport system is ‘irrational’, saying ‘roads are overcrowded with cars and cargo. This leads to slow movement, increased traffic and damaged roads. To solve this, cargo must move to railways and waterways, while petroleum products will be transported through pipelines.’
The government expects the line to create more than 150 000 job opportunities both directly and indirectly, and to reduce road maintenance costs, increase exports, support regeneration of towns along the route and boost tourism.