Uganda Rail Plan Towards Tanzania Threatens to Divert Cargo from Kenya’s Mombasa Route

Uganda’s plan to connect a new railway to neighbouring Tanzania could divert cargo away from Kenya’s northern corridor and the Port of Mombasa, potentially reshaping regional trade flows in East Africa.

A government document seen quoted by Reuters agency shows Uganda wants its planned railway line to link with a line under construction in Tanzania, creating an alternative export route for minerals including gold, copper and iron ore.

For decades, landlocked Uganda has relied heavily on Kenya’s northern corridor through the Mombasa port to ship its exports and receive imports.

But officials have repeatedly explored alternative routes to reduce disruptions linked to political tensions, protests and election cycles in Kenya, which have in the past slowed cargo movement along the busy trade artery.

Linking to Tanzania would give Kampala a southern route to the Indian Ocean, reducing reliance on a single corridor and intensifying competition among regional transport networks.

The proposed connection would integrate Uganda’s Standard Gauge Railway with Tanzania’s expanding rail system, which runs toward the port of Dar es Salaam.

The route could allow mineral shipments and other cargo to move more directly to global markets.

Uganda is developing several mining projects and has been seeking cheaper and more reliable logistics routes to support future exports.

Rail transport is viewed as key to lowering costs compared with road haulage across long distances.

At present, most of Uganda’s goods travel through Kenya via road and the existing railway to Mombasa.

Kampala had earlier planned to connect its Standard Gauge Railway to Kenya’s line running inland from the coast, though progress has been gradual.

Analysts say a Tanzania link would shift part of Uganda’s cargo southwards, potentially reducing volumes handled through Mombasa while boosting traffic through Tanzanian ports.

The move also reflects a wider strategy by landlocked East African countries to diversify trade corridors to avoid bottlenecks and political risks that periodically disrupt the region’s supply chains.

If completed, the railway connection could deepen infrastructure competition between Kenya and Tanzania as both countries position themselves as the primary maritime gateway for inland economies in the Great Lakes region.

gandae@businessdayafrica.org