Uganda has taken a significant step toward the development of its Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) by signing the Limited Notice to Proceed (LNTP) with Turkish construction giant Yapi Merkezi. The agreement, signed over the weekend in Kampala, paves the way for early works to commence. Present at the signing were Ministry of Works and Transport Permanent Secretary Bageya Waiswa, Yapi Merkezi’s Uganda representative Mert Oz, and SGR Uganda chief Can. Eng. Perez Wamburu.
This milestone comes as neighboring Kenya advances its own SGR extension, with plans to stretch the railway from Naivasha to Kisumu. Kenya Railways has successfully marked the alignment for Phase 2B of the project, covering approximately 262 kilometers across Narok, Bomet, Kericho, and Kisumu counties. Unlike the old railway route, the new alignment will follow a different path, with a resettlement study already commissioned to guide compensation for affected communities.
A key feature of the expansion includes an 8-kilometer branch extending into Lake Victoria, where a new lake port in Kisumu is set to be built. The port will feature two multipurpose berths and a work boat berth to enhance the safe docking of ships, reinforcing Kisumu’s role as a critical hub for regional trade.
