Kenya and Uganda have agreed to collaborate in the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
In a joint communiqué signed at the Mombasa SGR terminus Friday, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and his Ugandan counterpart, General (Rtd) Katumba Wamala, said the construction will start in December this year, depending on availability of funds.
The two said they were desirous of achieving seamless railway transport from Mombasa to Kampala to fully open up the Northern Corridor and ensure its competitiveness.
The deal was signed after a lengthy meeting at the Mombasa Port, where it was agreed that Kenya will extend the SGR line from Naivasha to Malaba, covering a distance of about 368 kilometres, while Uganda will do its part, stretching 272 kilometres from the Malaba border to Kampala.
The two countries plan to raise resources from the Middle East, China and other development partners as a team to ensure that they start the SGR project as a team.
Murkomen said the plan was to extend the SGR line to the Democratic Republic of Congo and open up the region for economic growth.
He said the East African Community (EAC) had agreed in 2014 to have the SGR extended to connect and open up the region.
“We want to achieve seamless transportation of goods from Mombasa to Kampala by SGR. Kenya will extend the SGR line from Naivasha to Malaba, while Uganda will construct the line from Malaba to Kampala,” he said.
“It is of great benefit for both countries if we extend the SGR to Kampala. We are working as a team and we will ensure that goods are not stuck at the Malaba border,” Murkomen said.
The two ministers said the project was undergoing a feasibility study that would inform the cost of construction.
Wamala said that although Uganda had delayed the SGR project, it was now determined to implement it and achieve seamless movement of goods and services from Mombasa.
“We may have delayed, but we are going to get it done. This project will also support tourism. We think it is viable,” he said.
He said the two countries have their doors open to funders, but they will focus on financing terms that give value for money.
“We are going to keep our doors open; we have to get value for money; the funds have to benefit us and not only the funders,” he stated.
Wamala said that the two countries will also rehabilitate the Metre Gauge Railway and put it to good use, particularly in support of the construction of the SGR line.
“We cannot forget the meter-gauge railway, which has served us for a long time,” he said.
The team also inspected the ongoing construction of the Dongo Kundu Highway Bypass, also referred to as Mombasa Southern Bypass, which is a highway under construction in Mombasa County.
The Sh25 billion project is expected to be the solution to congestion at the Likoni Ferry crossing channel, which has largely been blamed for slowing the growth of the South Coast region.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the project is within the timeline and will be completed by March 2024.
By Fatma Said
