Home News Deal Done: Tanzania, Rwanda Agree to Build Standard Gauge Railway

Deal Done: Tanzania, Rwanda Agree to Build Standard Gauge Railway

by Jean de la Croix Tabaro
6:02 pm

SGR construction is in progress on Tanzanian side

One of the outcomes of the visit of President Paul Kagame to Tanzania has been revealed; both countries have agreed to construct a standard gauge railway from Isaka in Tanzania to Kigali.

Construction of the much-awaited railway of the central corridor which has been pending for sometime will start this year, according to Rwanda’s Ministry of Infrastructure.

“During his visit to Tanzania, HE Paul Kagame and his counterpart John Pombe Magufuli agreed to start the Constitution of the 400 km Standard Gauge Railway Isaka-Kigali this year as part of efforts to connect Rwanda to  Dar es Salaam port,” Ministry of Infrastructure tweeted.

President Kagame and Magufuli spoke to the media in a press conference some hours after Kagame’s arrival to Tanzania for a one-day working visit.

The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), 400 kilometers will be co-financed by Rwanda and Tanzania.

At this occasion, President John Pombe Magufuli of Tanzania said that Ministers of Foreign Affairs from both countries should meet next week to fast track implementation of the project, “because feasibility study was finished.”

“President Kagame and I want to unveil the foundation stone to usher the construction this year,” the thecitizen.co.tz quoted president Magufuli as saying.

He even said if necessary, both countries will acquire loans to make this project a success.

Meanwhile, construction of SGR from Tanzanian side is underway in two phases; from Dar es Salam to Morogoro and from Morogoro to Dodoma.

Tanzanian government committed 7 trillion Tanzanian Shillings to both phases.

Tanzania expressed her support to president Kagame’s African Union chairmanship.

Kagame will take over the rotational assignment from President Alpha Condé of Guinea on January 28th during the 30th AU General Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“I am happy to work with President Magufuli and other African presidents. They have given me these responsibilities because they are ready to give me support to enable me to accomplish my task,” Kagame said.

Related Posts

7 comments

Emmy January 14, 2018 - 9:52 pm

Good news.congs to both presidents

Kagame Geofrey January 15, 2018 - 7:52 am

May the Almighty God eneble Our President with his colleagues in the profession to attain this goal so we young Africans can find our way out thanks a lot to My President H.E Paul Kagame for your esteem and thanks a lot to President John Magufuri for the cooperation long live Rwanda long live Africa

Benjamin m January 15, 2018 - 4:17 pm

well done kagame at least you show your people what you have done so far, and to you mr john pombe thank you too

Benjamin m January 15, 2018 - 4:20 pm

if we had search people in Africa we would have been far from where we are now

Hires Domus January 15, 2018 - 11:44 pm

Wonderful action God is abide with us

TUYIRINGIRE January 22, 2018 - 12:32 am

This’is great thing to both countries like Africans bond together

Mawe April 1, 2018 - 9:26 pm

Good news, but no money at all in both Governments. To sign paper and shaking hands is easier than to build

Comments are closed.