Ugandan Parliamentary Committee Benchmarks With Kenya Railways Rail Sector

Kenya Railways hosted two Parliamentary Committees from the Parliament of the Republic of Uganda for a benchmarking exercise aimed at strengthening railway cooperation, sharing expertise and exploring opportunities for deeper regional integration. The exercise, held from August 31 to September 5, 2026, brought together Uganda’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure and Budget Committee. The delegation, received by Kenya Railways Managing Director, Mr. Philip Mainga, EBS, was led by Hon. Mwine Mpaka, Chairperson of the Committee on Physical Infrastructure, and Hon. Amos Kankunda, Chairperson of the Budget Committee. The Ugandan MPs toured key Kenya Railways facilities in Nairobi, Naivasha and Mombasa, gaining insights into railway operations, rolling stock maintenance, passenger and freight services, safety training and railway heritage. Speaking during the engagement, Mr. Mainga called for stronger regional collaboration to unlock the potential of railway transport in East Africa. “Regional collaboration is non-negotiable. East African countries must work together to bring efficiency to the transportation of goods and services to our people,” Mr. Mainga said. He highlighted Kenya’s experience in operating the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) as complementary networks and noted plans to develop Commercial and Logistics Hubs along railway corridors to transform them into economic corridors. Hon. Mpaka said stronger cooperation between Kenya and Uganda was key to unlocking Uganda’s railway potential and improving regional cargo movement. “Uganda’s strategic position as a transit and distribution hub for cargo destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi, is key”, he stated. At the Naivasha Inland Container Depot, the delegation was briefed on cargo evacuation and transhipment along the Northern Corridor, including the transfer of SGR cargo to the MGR through the 24-kilometre Naivasha link. The MPs also visited the Nairobi Central Workshops, Nairobi Railway Museum and Staff Safety Training Centre in Syokimau. At the Safety Training Centre, Hon. Kankunda commended Kenya Railways’ investment in skills development and certification. “Capacity development must be our starting point,” Hon. Kankunda said, commending Kenya Railways for its investment in railway training, skills transfer and certification. The delegation also toured the Nairobi Terminus and travelled to Mombasa aboard the Madaraka Express, before visiting the Kenya Ports Authority. Discussions further focused on the East Africa SGR Master Plan, planned extensions to Kisumu and Malaba, and opportunities to integrate rail and lake transport through Lake Victoria.