Uganda, Tanzania team up to revamp railway transport ahead of Afcon 2027

Managers of Uganda's and Tanzania's railway corporations have agreed to fast-track the development of railway transport to ease the movement of people during the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) 2027 scheduled for next year. The Chairperson of the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) Board, Mr Daudi Migereko, said Uganda still lags in developing its rail and water transport systems, despite their critical role in facilitating trade and improving the movement of goods and people. "Our neighbours in Tanzania are ahead of us, but we want to take advantage of our close partnership to utilise some of the infrastructure and expertise they already have," Mr Migereko said. Mr Migereko was speaking during a planning meeting between senior officials from the Uganda and Tanzania railway corporations in Jinja to discuss improving cargo and passenger transport between the two countries. Mr Migereko said Uganda wants to accelerate the development of its railway and water transport systems by drawing on Tanzania's experience, enabling it to catch up with its neighbour, which is at a more advanced stage of infrastructure development. He emphasised that the volume of business requiring railway and water transport services is growing rapidly in Uganda, but the country’s facilities remain limited compared to those in Tanzania. Mr Migereko expressed optimism that the engagement with Tanzanian railway stakeholders would help Uganda make significant progress in revitalising its railway and water transport systems. The Managing Director of the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC), Mr Benon Kajuna, said Uganda has secured funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to rehabilitate Port Bell and Jinja ports, as well as construct Bukasa port, in a move aimed at expanding capacity for cargo handling through the water transport system. “Under financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB), we have secured funds to rehabilitate Port Bell and Jinja ports to enable direct connections for ships from Mwanza,” Mr Kajuna said. According to Mr Kajuna, this direct movement will help in predicting the timelines for the arrival of goods at each port. The Managing Director of the Tanzania Shipping Company Limited, Mr Eric Hamissi, said prolonged docking of ships at ports remains a major challenge due to poor infrastructure at some facilities. “The ship is supposed to come for offloading or loading to proceed to another port, but docking it for long periods has become a challenge due to the poor state of some ports,” Mr Hamissi said. He revealed that Tanzania has unveiled a 1,200-capacity passenger and cargo ship, MV Mwanza, but it is yet to reach Port Bell due to the poor state of the port. Mr Hamissi said the ship is intended to transport people attending the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in East Africa next year, but poor facilities in some areas may hinder its use. He explained that the meeting with Ugandan counterparts was also aimed at paving the way for the rehabilitation of Port Bell to accommodate MV Mwanza. Mr Hamissi added that the ship will also boost tourism across East Africa, as people will use it for regional tours. The Director General of the Tanzania Railways Corporation, Mr Machibya Masanja, noted that developing Uganda’s railway and water transport systems would reduce transport costs for businesspeople who rely on road transport, as they are cheaper alternatives. “We are here in Jinja to create an integrated transport system between TRC, TASHICOL and URC from Tanga to Kampala at low cost, since road transport has proved to be expensive,” Mr Masanja said. He emphasised that Tanzania's ports are already developed but cannot operate well without developing those in Uganda, which is a Trade partner. Mr Masanja highlighted that the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) is advancing plans to develop the standard gauge railway to ensure faster delivery of goods to designated destinations.