Kenya has started discussions with the UAE to secure fi

Kenya seeks funds from UAE to extend railway to South Sudan

Kenya has started discussions with the UAE to secure financing to complete the project of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) connecting the Kenyan Port of Mombasa with South Sudan.
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir (L) speaking with the then Deputy President of Kenya, William Ruto at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi during the swearing-in of President Uhuru Kenyatta on November 28, 2017. [John Muchucha, Standard]

By Awan Achiek

Kenya has started discussions with the UAE to secure financing to complete the project of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) connecting the Kenyan Port of Mombasa with South Sudan.

President William Samoei Ruto disclosed that plans were made on Tuesday after his meeting with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, in Nairobi, Kenya.

“We are exploring a partnership agreement with the United Arab Emirates to extend the Standard Gauge Railway to connect Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan,” said Ruto in his post on X on Tuesday.

Ruto said they have reached a deal to conduct a feasibility study for the railway extension.

“As part of the plan, we have agreed to conduct a feasibility study over the extension of the SGR due to its capacity to foster regional integration and promote trade,” he said.

He emphasized its potential to enhance regional integration and boost trade across East Africa.

“In Abu Dhabi, held talks with the UAE investment minister, Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi. We also agreed on the UAE’s investment in the Galana-Kulalu project and other agricultural initiatives aimed at strengthening our food security agenda.”

The railway connecting the Kenyan Port of Mombasa with landlocked countries of Uganda and South Sudan, as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, ended in the Rift Valley in 2019, 468 kilometers short of the border with Uganda, after Beijing withdrew support.

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