Kenya has initiated talks with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to secure funding for the completion of a regional railway project, President William Ruto announced.
This development follows China’s withdrawal of financial support for the initiative.
The railway, part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, was originally intended to connect the port city of Mombasa to Uganda and other landlocked neighbors.
However, construction halted in 2019 in the Rift Valley, leaving the project 468 kilometers (290 miles) short of the Ugandan border.
“We are exploring a partnership with the UAE to extend the Standard Gauge Railway to link Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan,” Ruto stated on X (formerly Twitter) after discussions with UAE officials in Abu Dhabi.
Both nations will conduct a feasibility study on the railway extension, which Ruto emphasized would enhance regional integration and trade opportunities.
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Kenya’s presidential office has not provided further details about the project. However, Ruto, who assumed office in September 2022, has actively sought stronger relations with the UAE. Recently, Kenya secured a $1.5 billion commercial loan from the UAE for budgetary support.
In a significant step to deepen economic ties, Kenya and the UAE signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement aimed at boosting trade by reducing barriers, streamlining customs processes, and promoting investment.
“Kenya is poised to become a gateway for East Africa,” remarked Thani Al Zeyoudi, the UAE’s Minister of Trade, during the discussions.
Trade relations between Kenya and the UAE have grown substantially over the past decade, with the UAE becoming Kenya’s sixth-largest export market and its second-largest source of imports.
In 2023, trade between the two nations reached a value of 445 billion Kenyan shillings ($3.44 billion). Kenya exports agricultural goods to the UAE, while importing petroleum products, machinery, and chemicals. The railway project is expected to further bolster trade and economic cooperation in the region.
