Uganda President Yoweri Museveni has attributed Kenya's fast expansion of infrastructure to President Uhuru Kenyatta's business background in college.
Museveni landed at Moi International Airport in Mombasa on Wednesday and is expected to leave for Nairobi on Thursday before jetting out of the country. He's on a two day official trip.
On a light touch, Museveni attributed the efficiency at the Port and entire transport to President Uhuru’s biases on business matters.
“Your Excellency, the efficiency we are witnessing currently could be because of your business background; before your time, we had to beg for cargo to be moved to Uganda, the then officials thought they were doing Uganda favour without knowing that they were only sabotaging the two economies,” said Museveni.
Museveni noted that the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway to Uganda would further improve trade between the two countries noting that once complete, it will only take a record 24 hours for goods to be transported from Mombasa to Kampala.
“It will be suicidal if the line between Mombasa to Uganda is not fast-tracked” he noted. He accepted President Uhuru’s invitation to ride on SGR from Mombasa to Nairobi on Thursday, a journey that will take less than five hours.
It will be the first time the Ugandan president will ride on Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway. He will make a brief stopover in Nairobi before flying to Entebbe Airport in Uganda.
Once the SGR construction reaches in Busia, Ugandan government is expected to take over. Both Rwanda, Burundi and DRC are also expected to complete the network which would tremendously improve transportation in East and Central Africa.
Uhuru has always backed SGR as his landmark project and has often used the rail to and fro Mombasa. He last used it during Christmas and at the eve of new year.