East Africa is set to experience a radical shift in the transport sector after Uganda secured a lucrative deal with Turkish construction firm Yapi Merkezi to build a modern Standard Gauge Railway network in the country. The bigger picture: Uganda, which has been lagging in terms of its transport network, is set to greatly benefit from the new deal in several ways. Not only will the nation have a modern, fast, reliable, and high-capacity railway network, but regional trade with neighbours including Kenya is set to be improved considerably. The Malaba–Kampala section alone, measuring 273 kilometers, is set to cost around Ksh296 billion (USD2.3 billion), while the entire Uganda SGR Project covering 1,724 km was quoted at Ksh1.7 trillion (USD12.8 billion). From the engagements, trade ministers from both countries were urged to meet and resolve any outstanding issues affecting trade between Uganda and Kenya.

Source: Daily Nation October 14, 2024 13:48 UTC