Gen Kainerugaba, Turkish Firm Review First Phase of Standard Gauge Railway Project

Uganda has taken a major step forward in advancing its Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project, with General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, meeting leaders of the Turkish construction firm Yapı Merkezi to review the first phase of the Malaba-Kampala line.

The meeting, held at the Special Forces Command headquarters, focused on project timelines, technical systems, and a 2-kilometre tunnel set to run through Mbuya military land. Construction of the 325-kilometre line is expected to start in 2026 and span 48 months.

“The Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, today met a delegation from Yapı Merkezi, a leading Turkish construction company selected to build the first phase of Uganda’s Standard Gauge Railway from Malaba to Kampala,” Kainerugaba tweeted.

The delegation was led by Board Member Sami Özge Arıoğlu and included General Manager Mustafa Şahin Kopuz, Project Coordinator Fevzi Mert Öz, Local Representative Albert Ateenyi Rugaju, and Design Engineer Hacı Hasan Kaygısız.

State minister for gender, labour, and social development in charge of children and youth affairs, Barugahara Balaam Ateenyi, commenting on the meeting, described it as a “significant step forward” for Uganda’s infrastructure ambitions.

“My leader and Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Assignments, also CDF, Gen. Kainerugaba, has discussed the Standard Gauge Railway project with a Turkish firm. The General is a man of action. It is only a matter of time and months before we see Uganda connected to a high-speed railway network,” he tweeted.

The SGR project, signed in October 2024 for approximately $3 billion after years of delays, will connect Uganda to Kenya’s railway network, drastically reducing transport costs and transit times to Mombasa’s port. President Yoweri Museveni flagged off the project in November 2024, signalling renewed momentum for regional trade and export growth.

Officials say the project will not only improve freight transport efficiency but also boost economic integration across East Africa, supporting Uganda’s ambitions to become a regional logistics hub.