Kagame In Uganda For Northern Corridor Summit
President Paul Kagame greeting Ugandan military and Police chiefs on arrival for the Northern Corridor summit.
President Paul Kagame on Friday arrived in Uganda’s capital, Kampala for the 10thNorthern Corridor Integration Projects summit.
The meeting is scheduled for Saturday at Munyonyo Speke Resort. According to organizers, Kagame will be joined by his counterparts; President Yoweri Museveni his host, Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta and President Salva Kiir of South Sudan.
During the summit, Heads of state will review progress made on projects previously signed to facilitate regional trade and development.
The Northern Corridor is a transport route that connects Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan.
Key projects previously signed include a Standard Gauge Railway project and a landmark single airspace deal signed last year during the 8th summit held in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.
The $13.5billion railway project is expected to change the region’s economic landscape by providing efficient and cost effective rail transport for both goods and passengers.
Rwanda highly looks forward to benefit from the project because it’s landlocked and has no access to railway transport system.
Meanwhile, the single airspace agreement implemented early this year, cut flight fares by 40%, ending misery of regional travelers that had complained of high flight tariffs. Previously, an economy class flight ticket from Juba in S. Sudan to Nairobi, Kenya was $700 and $100 for first class ticket.
Rwanda hosted the 9th Northern Corridor Summit late last year. During the summit, heads of state resolved to speed up the Standard Gauge Railway project to boost regional trade and investment.
The first Northern Corridor summit was held in 2013; Then Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda leaders agreed to meet every 3 months to discuss and review progress of regional development projects.
Burundi, a member of East African Community single customs territory, will be represented at the summit.
