Pioneering $3 Billion Malaba-Kampala Railway Initiative
On the 14th of October, a significant event took place with the formal signing of the contract for the ambitious Malaba-Kampala (Eastern Route) Railway project.
This groundbreaking initiative, estimated at around 3 billion dollars, will cover a distance of 273 kilometres. The key players in this venture are the Government of Uganda and Yapı Merkezi, a renowned Turkish construction firm. This railway signifies a crucial advancement for the Eastern Route Railway project, which is anticipated to amplify regional connectivity and catalyze economic expansion. This venture is not only a landmark achievement for Uganda but also signifies one of the most extensive projects ever embarked upon by a Turkish contractor overseas. It carries strategic importance for both Uganda and the wider East African region, promising to usher in transformative changes. The comprehensive Malaba-Kampala Eastern Route Railway Project includes the design, construction, and procurement of rail vehicles for a standard gauge railway. This railway will be fully electrified, in compliance with European and American standards. The project, spanning over 273 km, is designed for a speed of 120 km/h.
It encompasses the construction of 2 major stations, 4 medium-sized stations, 1 marshalling yard, and 3 freight terminals. The project will forge a critical link between Uganda and Kenya, boasting an impressive freight capacity of 25 million tons annually. At the signing ceremony, Erdem Arıoğlu, Vice Chairperson of Yapı Merkezi, expressed his pride in undertaking the Eastern Route Railway Project. He underscored that this project is one of the largest ever signed by Turkish contractors abroad and will establish a vital connection between Uganda and Kenya. He highlighted the company's vast expertise in railway engineering, which has enabled them to provide the most suitable engineering solutions for this significant project. He voiced his delight in successfully representing Turkey on the international stage. Uganda's Minister of Work and Transport, Gen. Katumba Wamala, also addressed the gathering at the ceremony. He expressed his pride in collaborating with Yapı Merkezi, a company with a robust track record in railway construction across Africa. He stressed the significance of this project in bolstering regional trade and economic integration, marking a pivotal milestone in Uganda's transportation history. He voiced his confidence in Yapı Merkezi's ability to successfully bring the project to fruition on schedule. The Eastern Route Railway Project has had a complex journey.
Initially, a China-based company signed a construction contract in 2015, but the Ugandan government rescinded the contract due to the company's failure to meet its project financing commitments. Following this, Yapı Merkezi entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Uganda. On November 8, 2022, Yapı Merkezi formalized this Memorandum and submitted its construction and financing proposal for the Malaba-Kampala (Eastern Route) Railway Project to the Ugandan Ministry of Transport in July 2023. The proposal negotiations were successfully concluded by June 2024, and the Letter of Award was received on September 24, 2024. With the completion of the Naivasha-Malaba Railway in Kenya, the line extending from Uganda's capital, Kampala, to Kenya will connect the country to the Port of Mombasa, which opens to the Indian Ocean. In addition, the Kampala-Kasese (Western Route) project, for which Yapı Merkezi has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, will provide the Democratic Republic of the Congo with rail access to the Port of Mombasa. This project, expected to commence construction this year, holds significant commercial importance as it could potentially alleviate high transportation costs in a landlocked country
