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Uganda to Host First-Ever National Content Symposium on Standard Gauge Railway Project
The Ministry of Works and Transport, through the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Project, will on Friday, August 29, 2025, hold the inaugural SGR National Content Symposium at Speke Resort Munyonyo.
The symposium, running under the theme “Unlocking Local Potential through Modern Rail Infrastructure”, will be officially opened by the Minister of Works and Transport, Hon. Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala. It will bring together key stakeholders from the private and public sectors to explore opportunities for Ugandans in the multi-billion-dollar project.
Speaking ahead of the event, SGR Project Coordinator, Can. Eng. Perez Wamburu emphasised that the government is committed to ensuring Ugandans are at the centre of the project’s development, operations, and maintenance.
“The intention is to prioritise the use of Ugandan goods and services and to enable private sector players and citizens to actively participate in the SGR,” Wamburu said.
He explained that the National Content agenda seeks to retain up to 40 per cent of the SGR’s €2.7 billion contract value within the country by prioritising Ugandan suppliers. Areas of participation include the supply of cement, steel, sand, gravel, and ballast, as well as labour, legal and financial services, security, logistics, construction, hospitality, and medical services.
Beyond direct supply and services, the initiative also targets long-term benefits through skills development, technology transfer, job creation, enterprise growth, and educational partnerships. Efforts are being made to build supplier capacity through access to finance, training, and business clinics.
Launched by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in November 2024, the SGR Project is being implemented by the Turkish contractor Yapi Merkezi, which has already begun preliminary works. These include geotechnical and topographic surveys, site identification for construction materials, the establishment of a concrete yard, a batching plant, and a railway sleeper factory along the corridor.
Land acquisition for the railway has so far progressed through nine of the 12 districts along the corridor, reaching Buikwe. Valuation reports for Mukono, Wakiso, and Kampala are currently under review by the Chief Government Valuer, after which compensation will commence. Technical works such as electricity line extensions and coordination with regional partners, especially Kenya, are also underway.
According to the Ministry, the symposium is expected to provide a platform for businesses, professionals, and local communities to align with the project and maximise the economic benefits of Uganda’s largest modern transport infrastructure development.
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