Finance ministers from Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda have agreed to prioritise financing for the long-anticipated Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), in a renewed push to accelerate regional connectivity and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ministers reached the agreement during a high-level meeting held in Washington, D.C. on the sidelines of the ongoing IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The meeting brought together John Mbadi, Kenya\u2019s Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning; Yusuf Murangwa, Rwanda\u2019s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning; and Henry Musasizi, Uganda\u2019s Minister of State for Finance in charge of General Duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Senior officials in attendance included Kiryowa Kiwanuka, Ramathan Ggoobi, Chris Kiptoo and Gerald Mugabe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kenya reaffirmed its lead role in advancing the railway, with Mbadi stating that Nairobi is committed to completing and extending the SGR to the Malaba border with Uganda. He emphasised the need for tighter coordination among partner states to ensure the project\u2019s viability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rwanda signaled readiness to extend the railway further inland. Murangwa said Kigali is prepared to pick up the SGR from Uganda\u2019s border, describing the project as a strategic opportunity to connect not just the region but the wider African continent through improved trade and investment flows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uganda, for its part, reiterated that groundwork is already underway. Musasizi said construction efforts have commenced on the Malaba\u2013Kampala stretch, stressing that the success of the project hinges on collective commitment from all participating countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe viability of this SGR depends on all of us committing to do the project,\u201d Musasizi said, adding that Uganda plans to extend the line to the borders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uganda\u2019s Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, Ggoobi, revealed that the government has already contracted the construction of the 270-kilometre Malaba\u2013Kampala segment. He added that Citibank has been appointed as lead arranger and coordinator for the project\u2019s financing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ggoobi noted that progress has been made in securing the right of way and that discussions are ongoing with the World Bank to support funding for the railway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In separate engagements, the Ugandan delegation held talks with World Bank officials led by Qimiao Fan, who indicated that the institution is open to exploring financing options for the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The delegation also met Citibank executives, including Richard Hodder, to review progress in mobilising funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officials say the SGR remains a cornerstone infrastructure project expected to transform regional logistics by lowering cargo transport costs, improving efficiency and boosting trade competitiveness across East Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With all three countries now aligning on financing priorities, the renewed momentum signals a critical step toward realizing a fully interconnected regional railway network.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Finance ministers from Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda have agreed to prioritise financing for the long-anticipated Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), in a renewed push to accelerate regional connectivity and trade. The ministers reached the agreement during a high-level meeting held in Washington, D.C. on the sidelines of the ongoing IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings 2026. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27983,"featured_media":42440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_paywall_metabox":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[9974,119],"class_list":["post-42439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-standard-gauge-railway","tag-uganda-news"],"yoast_head":"\n