Uganda, Tanzania Sign MoU on Cross-Border Standard Gauge Railway Line

By Skika Reporter.

Uganda and Tanzania have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly develop a cross-border Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line aimed at improving regional trade and reducing the cost of transporting goods.

The agreement was signed on Friday in Dar es Salaam by Uganda’s State Minister for Transport, Fred Byamukama, and Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo.

The planned railway will connect the Isaka–Lusahunga–Murongo/Kikagati–Mpondwe corridor, forming part of a network expected to stretch more than 600 kilometres and eventually link to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Officials say the project is intended to shift cargo transport from road to rail, lowering logistics costs and improving the movement of goods across the region.

Byamukama said high transport costs have contributed to expensive commodities in East Africa, noting that rail transport would provide a cheaper alternative.

The signing followed the fifth session of the Joint Permanent Commission held in Dar es Salaam.

Uganda’s State Minister for Regional Affairs, John Mulimba, said the railway will be implemented as a trilateral project involving Uganda, Tanzania and the DRC. He added that negotiations for the project had been completed before the signing.

Reports indicate the project has been included in the 2026 infrastructure priority programme of the African Development Bank, which aims to expand rail connectivity across East Africa and support the movement of minerals such as gold, copper and iron ore.

Kombo said the agreement demonstrates the two countries’ commitment to cooperation and sustainable regional development