ADB commits Shs1 trillion to renovate metre gauge railway

The African Development Bank has committed more than Shs1 trillion to renovate the Kampala-Malaba Uganda metre gauge railway  to boost regional trade,  an official has said.
The railway line is part of the East African Community’s Northern Corridor linking Uganda (Kampala) to Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa.

While approving the financing in Ivory Coast last week, the bank’s group president, Mr Akinwumi Adesina, said railway lines are critical to opening up the heartland of Africa where there is immense agricultural and economic potential.
“Rail tracks are also instrumental in linking rural-based special agricultural processing zones, which the African Development Bank is promoting, to markets and other vital logistics hubs. Railway lines should not simply connect ports to mines,” Mr Adesina said.

The works entail the rehabilitation of 265km railway line between Malaba and Mukono, including the line to Jinja pier and Port Bell on Lake Victoria.
The project, which the Cabinet and Parliament backed, incorporates training and skills development for the railway workforce.
 It will also integrate nature-based solutions, including tree planting to enhance the climate resilience of the tracks.
It is aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040 national strategy as well as the East African Community’s Vision 2050, which aims at deepening trade and transform East Africa into a globally competitive upper-middle-income region.