The Ministry of Works and Transport, through the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Project, is set to host the inaugural SGR National Content Symposium on 29th August, 2025, at Speke Resort Munyonyo.
The event will be officially opened by Minister of Works and Transport, Gen Katumba Wamala, and is expected to bring together public and private sector players to chart Uganda’s railway development agenda.
Canon Eng. Perez Wamburu, the SGR Project Coordinator, while addressing the press ahead of the first SGR National Content Symposium on 26th August, 2025, at the Uganda media center. The symposium will run under the theme “Unlocking Local Potential through Modern Rail Infrastructure.”
He said that the platform is intended to prioritize the use of Ugandan goods and services and enable citizens to actively participate in the development, operations, and maintenance of the SGR.
“National content refers to the added value to the country through participation of citizens and the private sector in SGR development, operations, and maintenance,” Wamburu said.
He revealed that the government’s commitment is premised on ensuring that up to 40 percent of the contract value estimated at 2.7 billion Euros remains within Uganda by giving priority to local suppliers.
According to Wamburu, the railway project is a national opportunity to build skills, transfer technology, create jobs, and strengthen Ugandan enterprises.
The leadership of the project has also been reinforced by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who launched its development in November 2024.
Wamburu confirmed that the contractor, Yapi Merkezi, has since commenced preliminary works including surveys, site identification, and the establishment of a sleeper factory, as the government continues to fast-track land acquisition across the 12 districts along the railway corridor.
The upcoming symposium will serve as a milestone in consolidating government’s policy direction for infrastructure modernization while ensuring Ugandans are central beneficiaries of the SGR project.
