Uganda and Kenya have reached an agreement on the key technical standards and policy positions for the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway from Mombasa to Kampala.
The agreement was signed after engineers, policymakers and officials from both countries met to resolve long-standing technical differences from November 12 to 14, 2025. The agreement brings the two countries closer to realizing their dream of building the longest and fastest railway system in East Africa.
Kenya’s SGR is built using Chinese standards, while Uganda intends to use mostly European systems. Although the standards differ, experts confirmed that they can be harmonized through clear engineering adjustments, ensuring full interoperability between the two lines, according to a press statement.
Waiswa Bageya, Uganda’s permanent secretary for Works and Transport, noted that harmonizing these standards was both a contractual requirement and a regional obligation.
According to him, the EPC/turnkey contract signed with Turkey’s Yapi Merkezi compels the contractor to guarantee that Uganda’s SGR design, systems, and components match Kenya’s network where the two meet at Malaba.
This includes alignment in track structure, power systems signaling, communications, rolling stock and operations. Progress on Uganda’s side is advancing steadily. Land acquisition and compensation which was one of the biggest challenges for the project has now been completed in nine out of 12 districts along the railway corridor.
Current work is underway in Mukono, Wakiso and Kampala, which is expected to be concluded by the end of 2025. Early works have already begun under a Limited Notice to Proceed which includes preliminary and detailed designs and the establishment of a sleeper factory and construction camp, the press statement noted.
Both countries agreed to continue sharing technical data and development plans. Uganda’s technical team along with its contractor and consultant will undertake an experiential visit to Kenya’s SGR system by December 2025. Full construction of Uganda’s SGR system is scheduled to begin in 2026.
