Uganda and China have signed a mega 9.5trn railway civil project for detailed designs and contracts for the 476km long line from Malaba – Nimule in Southern Sudan and Kampala – Tororo in Uganda.
President Yoweri Museveni who was accompanied by the First Lady and Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni on 30th March 2015 witnessed the signing of the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) contract for the Eastern and Northern Standard Gauge Railway Network project between the government of Uganda and the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) at a colourful ceremony at State Auditorium in Beijing, China.
“One of the bottlenecks to Africa’s economic development is the high transport costs because of the absence of railway transport or where they are, they are inefficient. That is why we are trying to rectify this. Our government, with the support of the Chinese government, is helping us build an efficient railway system in Uganda and the region,” the President said shortly after the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Transport and officials of CHEC signed the contract.
The Standard Gauge Railway project was agreed on by Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan and will see establishment of SGR line connecting Mombasa to Malaba (with a branch line to Kisumu City) onward to Kampala, Kigali (with a branch line to Kasese town) and Juba (with a branch line to Pakwach town).
The Minister of Works and Transport, Eng. John Byabagambi said the project is the biggest local undertaking ever signed in Uganda.