Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni commended Kenya for completing phase one of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) that runs from Mombasa to Nairobi on schedule and on budget.
Speaking on Thursday at the opening of the Joint Retreat of East Africa Community Heads of State in Entebbe, Museveni said completion of the first phase of SGR has drastically lowered the costs of transporting goods within the region.
“It is three times more costly to transport anything on the road even with the old line. With SGR reaching Nairobi, it costs eight cents dollars per metric a tonne compared to 21 cents dollars by road," said Museveni.
He added that it was now three times cheaper to transport goods by railway than by road.
President Museveni also noted that the on-going infrastructural projects are a clear demonstration of a region making progress.
Other leaders who attended the retreat included Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), John Pombe Magufuli (Tanzania) and Salva Kiiri (South Sudan).
Burundi’s First Vice-President Gaston Sindimwo and Rwandan Infrastructural Minister James Musoni represented their leaders at the retreat.