The government has secured €110.5 million, approximately Shs 481 billion, to finance the upgrading of the Kitgum-Kidepo Road into a first-class tarmac transport corridor.
The funding will open up trade, tourism, and industrial investment across Northern Uganda and the Karamoja sub-region.
The Minister of Finance, Hon. Henry Musasizi, signed the landmark financing agreement alongside Standard Chartered Bank Uganda Chief Executive Officer, Sanjay Rughani.
The 115.8-kilometer road engineering project will drastically reduce transport costs, eliminate transit delays, and streamline cross-border trade.
Hon. Musasizi stated that the infrastructure investment will serve as an economic lifeline to link isolated local communities to domestic markets.
“Today’s signing is not simply about financing a road," Musasizi explained. "It is about investing in Uganda’s future. It is about connecting farmers to markets, industries to raw materials, tourists to destinations and businesses to opportunity,” he added.
The strategic route will anchor the execution of the Agro-Industrialisation, Tourism, Mineral Development, and Science, Technology and Innovation (ATMS) national development agenda.
The road network will directly support massive industrial operations in Karamoja, including the USD 300 million Yaobai Cement and Clinker Factory currently under construction in Moroto.
The upgraded highway will also improve tourist access to Kidepo Valley National Park, which stands out as one of Uganda’s premier wildlife conservation destinations.
The road project will complement the development of the USD 72 million Kidepo International Airport to establish a robust trade and hospitality corridor in the north.
Standard Chartered Bank Uganda CEO, Sanjay Rughani, noted that the financial institution prioritizes funding state initiatives that deliver high macroeconomic dividends.
“The Kitgum-Kidepo Road is a strategic investment that reinforces our long-term role as a trusted corporate and investment bank,” Rughani stated.
The high-profile signing ceremony was witnessed by the Minister of State for Works and Transport (Transport), Hon. Fred Byamukama, and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Sanjay Tanna.
The Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Hon. Tom Butime, and the British High Commissioner to Uganda, Lisa Chesney, also witnessed the bilateral signing.
The government expects the completed road to lower the cost of doing business while extending essential public service access to communities plagued by historical infrastructure gaps.
