Gen Kainerugaba Discusses SGR Project With Turkish Firm

The Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, today met a delegation from Yapı Merkezi, a leading Turkish construction company selected to build the first phase of Uganda’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Malaba to Kampala.

The delegation was led by Mr. Sami Özge Arıoğlu, a Board member, who was accompanied by General Manager Mr. Mustafa Şahin Kopuz, Project Coordinator Mr. Fevzi Mert Öz, Local Representative Mr. Albert Ateenyi Rugaju, and Design Engineer Mr. Hacı Hasan Kaygısız.

The meeting was held at the Special Forces Command (SFC) headquarters in Entebbe.

The team briefed the CDF on the project designs, systems, and the timeline, with particular focus on a 2km tunnel that will pass through military land in Mbuya.

Gen Kainerugaba discussed the upcoming schedule with the team and urged them to deliver a high-quality project.

The delegation assured the CDF of high quality work and timely delivery of the project. They also thanked him for the meeting.

The full construction works for this first phase are set to begin in 2026. The total length of the railway will be 325 km, with the main line covering 227 km and 68 km for sidings. The project is scheduled to take 48 months to complete. The strategic goal of the project is to link Uganda to Kenya’s SGR, significantly reducing transport costs and time to the port of Mombasa.

The project includes the design, construction, and supply of rail vehicles for a standard gauge railway that meets international standards.