Kampala Uganda – The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has called on the government to allocate sufficient resources to complete the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and Meter Gauge Railway projects within the proposed timeframe.
This comes after the government signed a $2.3 billion contract with a Turkish company to construct the SGR from Malaba to Kampala, with plans to extend it to Kasese in western Uganda .
According to UPC spokesperson, Sharon Oyat, “The project is part and parcel of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects that is expected to link up Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Rwanda.”
Oyat emphasized the importance of completing the project, stating that it will help in fostering regional connectivity which can spur economic growth and development among the member states of East African Community. “Already Kenya and Tanzania are having functioning SGR and extending westwards. For Kenya, it is from Mombasa – Nairobi which is operational as the focus is now to link Naivasha and Kisumu then Malaba which is border town with Kenya and Uganda.” Arach highlighted
The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project aims to reduce transportation costs and increase efficiency.
The President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni previously said in his state of the nation address,”A 40ft container costs US$ 3500 from Mombasa to Kampala by road compared to USD 1,500 by rail when the standard gauge railway is ready and will only take one day”
The Uganda People’s Congress have also advocated for the extension of the railway to Arua, as proposed in the 1966-1971 five-year development plan, to foster regional integration and benefit the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
By completing the SGR project, Uganda hopes to revive its railway transport system, which has been in disrepair since the 1970s and 1980s economic collapse.
