To achieve the full Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) dream, East African countries have to spend a total of about Shs107.1 trillion ($29.8 billion), largely borrowed from Chinese investors, according to the construction cost per kilometre analysis derived from authentic SGR documents and media reports.
Comparison paper on estimated cost for the construction of the much-hyped Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) for Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda available on the Uganda SGR website clearly states the estimated cost per a railway kilometre.
According to this document, Kenya’s cost per kilometre is about Shs26.2 billion ($7.28 million) for a diesel line, Uganda is at about Shs26.2 billion ($7.32 million) for an electric line while Tanzania, the cheapest among her peers is at about Shs18 billion ($5 million) per kilometre for an electric line. Tanzania’s cost also applies to the extensions to Rwanda, Burundi and DR Congo border.
The Shs107.1 trillion required for the fulfillment of this ‘super ambitious’ project covers Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi up to DR Congo.
For Kenya, this covers costs of construction of a 962km rail line from Mombasa to Malaba via Nairobi, Naivasha and Kisumu.
On the Tanzania part, these costs cover the construction of a 2,190 kilometres rail line from Dar es Salaam to DR Congo via Rwanda and Burundi.
In Uganda, the SGR network covered by these costs comprises “three major routes with a total route length of 1,614km. The Eastern Route will start from Malaba to Kampala, the Northern Route starts from Tororo to Gulu to Nimule with a spur to Pakwach and the Western Route is planned to start from Kampala to Mpondwe (at the DR Congo border) through Mityana, Kamwenge and Kasese, and a line from Bihanga southwards to Mirama Hills (at the Uganda- Rwanda border) through Mbarara and Ntungamo with a spur to the Muko iron ore deposits through Kabale.
