By Samuel Ssenono
Government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Egyptian firm Orascom Construction Company to carry out a feasibility study for a possible Light Rail Transit (LRT) or monorail system in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
The signing was witnessed by the Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Government of Uganda by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Bageya Waiswa, and representatives of Orascom Construction.
Under the arrangement, the company will conduct an 18-month feasibility study to assess the possibility of introducing a mass transit system in the Kampala metropolitan area.
According to the Ministry of Works and Transport, the study will focus on major transport corridors including Kampala–Entebbe, Kampala–Kira and Kampala–Wakiso, which carry large volumes of commuter traffic.
The proposal stems from President Yoweri Museveni’s visit to Egypt in August 2025, where he invited Egyptian investors to explore opportunities in Uganda.
During the visit, executives from Orascom Construction presented proposals aimed at addressing Kampala’s traffic congestion through modern urban transport systems such as light rail, elevated monorail and underground metro lines.
President Museveni welcomed the proposal and encouraged the company to explore opportunities in Uganda.
“You are most welcome. Come to Uganda and we will discuss,” the President told the delegation.
He said traffic congestion in Kampala continues to cause economic losses and environmental damage.
“We are losing a lot of money in fuel in traffic without moving and poisoning the environment. The impact is not good, damaging the roads,” he said.
The feasibility study will assess the technical and financial requirements of the proposed system before any decision is taken on implementation.
The feasibility study will examine technical, financial and environmental considerations before any final decision is made on whether Uganda will proceed with the construction of an urban rail system.
If implemented, the project would mark one of the most ambitious public transport developments in Uganda’s history, aimed at transforming mobility in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
