The revamp of the Kampala-Malaba Metre-Gauge Railway in Uganda will receive a US$301 million funding injection.

About 256 km of the railway line, which is part of the region’s Northern Corridor linking Ugandan capital Kampala to Mombasa, Kenya, will be overhauled under the East African Community Railway Rehabilitation Support Project in an effort to strengthen rail services and lower transport costs. The AfDB announced that it will support the Kampala-Malaba project in the form of loans and grants, as reported by ESI Africa.

The project will also provide training and skills development for railway workers. Akinwumi Adesina, AfDB group president, says the project is key in linking rural agricultural zones. ‘Railway lines are critical to opening up the heartland of Africa, where there is immense agricultural and economic potential. Railway lines should not simply connect ports to mines.’

13 December 2022
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