This archive report was first published on 25 September 2019.
On September 25, 2019, Charles Onyango-Obbo wrote about the significance of railways in East Africa's development, highlighting the 1987 border war between Kenya and Uganda over the issue.
The conflict began when Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni took power in 1986 and decided that all exports and imports through Mombasa would travel by railway. This decision was met with resistance from Kenya's government and ruling party, Kanu, which had invested heavily in trucking goods to Uganda and beyond.
The dispute led to frequent disruptions in the free movement of goods at the Busia and Malaba borders, causing shortages in Uganda. In October 1987, the two countries exchanged fire at the Busia border for two days, resulting in several deaths.
Peace was eventually restored when Kampala gave up on its plans for exclusive use of the railway to Mombasa. However, the arrangement defined Kampala-Nairobi relations until the opposition won and Mwai Kibaki became President in 2002.
Today, the rivalry between Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway and road transport continues, with critics arguing that the SGR creates a monopoly and renders thousands of people jobless. However, proponents of the SGR argue that it is more efficient and makes better economic sense for bulk importers and exporters.
