TRANSPORT Ministry officials from Kenya and Uganda signed an agreement at the end of December to form a dedicated fleet of container trains to operate ’seamless services’ between Mombasa and Kampala.
The accord was signed in Kampala by the Permanent Secretary of Uganda’s Ministry of Works, Transport & Communications Charles Muganzi and his Kenyan counterpart Gerrishom Ikiara, witnessed by three Managing Directors: Daudi Murungi of URC, Andrew Wanyandeh of KRC and Brown Ondego of Kenya Ports Authority.
Under plans drawn up by a joint task force last year (RG 6.04 p319), URC will provide 12 trains for the fleet and KRC six, giving a total of 350 wagons. The aim is to reduce the Mombasa - Kampala journey time to less than five days.
- Although five consortia were shortlisted for the joint Uganda/Kenya railway concession in November (RG 12.04 p812), all nine firms that prequalified have been invited to a bidders conference in March. As part of the due diligence process, they will be able to discuss ’the nature of the business, financial requirements and contractual obligations’.
Uganda’s Minister for Privatisation Prof Peter Kasenene hopes to select a preferred bidder in May and to sign the concession contract in June.
