Turkish Contractor Preliminary Work in Tororo SGR Project

The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project took a significant step forward as Turkish contractor M/S Yapi Merkezi Insaat Ve Sanayi A.S was formally introduced to the leadership and stakeholders of Tororo District.

The event, held at the Tororo District Council Hall, also unveiled the project supervising consultant, SSF JV, who will be responsible for design review and construction oversight.

This introduction arrives six months after President Museveni officially launched the construction phase of the SGR in Kasole Village, Tororo, on November 21, 2024.

The 273-kilometre railway line connecting Malaba to Kampala is budgeted at €2.7 billion (about Shs11.34 trillion) and forms a crucial part of the Northern Corridor SGR network linking Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan.

Yapi Merkezi has now begun preliminary works in the region, including contractor mobilization, detailed site investigations, aerial surveys, and preliminary designs.

They are also identifying and acquiring temporary land for construction facilities, relocating utilities and infrastructure, and establishing operational sites such as laboratories, crusher plants, and concrete batching plants.

Environmental, social, health, and safety assessments will also be conducted.

Rebecca Akumu, the Tororo District vice chairperson, urged the contractor to prioritise employing local youth, noting, “Our communities should not be left behind. This is a golden opportunity for our youth to contribute to and benefit from a national infrastructure project.”

Deputy Resident District Commissioner Albert Amula reiterated the government’s commitment to the SGR project, highlighting its inclusion in the national budget with a Shs2.1 trillion allocation for the 2025/26 fiscal year.

“Uganda is demonstrating serious commitment to the successful execution of this transformative project,” he said.

Eng. Perez Wamburu, SGR Project Coordinator, called on all stakeholders to support the project and emphasised its economic importance.

He also announced Kenya’s commitment to extend its SGR line from Naivasha to Malaba, creating a seamless rail link between the two countries.

Tororo is poised to become a key hub in Uganda’s modern railway network, hosting the largest marshalling yard, a major international passenger station, a railway workshop, and an inland container depot and freight facility.

Once complete, the SGR will reduce cargo transit time between Mombasa and Kampala from five days to less than 24 hours and cut freight costs by up to 40%, significantly boosting Uganda’s competitiveness in regional and international markets.

During the launch last year, President Museveni described the SGR as a critical investment in Uganda’s transport future.

“All cargo will soon be moved via railway or water. For petroleum, we’re building pipelines — no more petroleum trucks on our roads,” he said.

Replacing the outdated metre-gauge system, the new railway will run trains at speeds of 100 km/h for freight and 120 km/h for passengers.

The four-year construction aims to revolutionise transport of goods and people across Uganda and the wider East African region.

Local leaders expressed strong support. Geoffrey Ekanya, MP for Tororo County North, called the SGR a “game-changer” for the region and urged the community to seize the opportunities it presents.

With construction now underway, Uganda’s vision of a fast, efficient, and integrated railway network is starting to take shape in Tororo.