The Ugandan and Kenyan governments are looking for financiers to fund the stalled Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba-Kampala Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project.
In a statement by Kenya’s Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and his Ugandan counterpart Edward Katumba-Wamala, the two states agree on the need to begin work in tandem for the maximum benefit of the project in the region.
“The Government of Kenya and Government of Uganda are pursuing financing of Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba and Malaba-Kampala SGR and acknowledge the importance of synchronization of the construction of the SGR sections to achieve viability; and,” read the statement.
The two East African countries signed a Bilateral Agreement to connect Mombasa and Kampala through the SGR in 2016.
Kenya has already finished building the Mombasa-Nairobi-Naivasha section for both freight and passengers.
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The Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba route has not yet begun.
While the Malaba-Kampala SGR is about to be completed, contracts for the construction of Naivasha-Malaba have already been signed on the Kenyan side.
“The two Governments recognize the importance of addressing challenges that would impact negatively on attracting financing for the sections and which would as well disadvantage Uganda and Kenya in terms of reaching Rwanda, South Sudan, DR Congo and Burundi,” the statement said.
“Uganda would ensure that SGR is extended to the border with Rwanda, South Sudan and DR Congo as soon as possible to further improve viability and attractiveness for financing of the SGR along the Northern Corridor,” it added.
