Significant investments in rail, road and airfreight throughout the region are addressing one of the biggest constraints to economic growth identified by the logistics sector the poor quality of transport infrastructure in general.
The projects are attracting international finance despite earlier setbacks.
An earlier East Africa Trade and Transport Facilitation Project intended to improve railway services in Kenya and Uganda is described in a 2016 World Bank close-out report as having moderately satisfactory outcomes.
One unintended outcome of the project is the clear failure of the railway to increase either the volume of freight or the modal share of total freight traffic carried by rail transport on the corridor, the report states.
In October 2024 it was announced that a 3-billion contract to construct a 272-kilometre railway line linking Kampala to the border town of Malaba had been awarded to Turkish engineering firm Yapi Merkezi.
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