Finance ministers from Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda have agreed to prioritise financing for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) following a high-level meeting in Washington, DC, on the sidelines of the 2026 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
The meeting brought together John Mbadi, Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning of Kenya, Yusuf Murangwa, Rwanda’s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, and Henry Musasizi, Uganda’s Minister of State for Finance in charge of General Duties.
Also in attendance were Uganda’s Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury Ramathan Ggoobi, Kenya’s National Treasury Permanent Secretary Chris Kiptoo, and Rwanda’s Head of Development Finance Gerald Mugabe, alongside other senior officials.
Mbadi said Kenya remains committed to leading efforts to complete and extend the SGR to the Malaba border with Uganda, stressing the need for coordinated action among partner states to ensure the project’s viability.
Murangwa reaffirmed Rwanda’s readiness to extend the railway from Uganda’s border, describing the SGR as a strategic opportunity to deepen regional integration and unlock trade and investment across the continent.
He commended Kenya and Uganda for taking the lead, noting that Rwanda is preparing for eventual implementation.
Musasizi said Uganda has already commenced implementation of its section of the railway from Malaba to Kampala and reiterated the country’s commitment to extending the line to both Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The viability of this SGR depends on all of us committing to do the project,” Musasizi said.
Ggoobi said Uganda has contracted the construction of the 270-kilometre Malaba–Kampala segment and appointed Citibank as lead arranger and coordinator for financing.
He added that progress has been made in acquiring the right of way and that discussions with the World Bank are ongoing.
Earlier, the Ugandan delegation held talks with a World Bank team led by Division Director Qimiao Fan on potential financing options for the railway.
Ggoobi described the SGR as a critical infrastructure project that will ease regional connectivity, lower cargo transport costs and improve trade competitiveness.
Fan said the World Bank is open to supporting Uganda and will assess financing opportunities for the project.
The Ugandan delegation also met Citibank officials led by Richard Hodder, Managing Director and Global Head of Export and Agency Finance, to review progress in mobilising funding for the railway.
