Where is Uganda in regional infrastructural development?

By Patrick Nakabale

THE regional countries of Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia are in the process of implementing a master plan that will see the construction of a modern port, an oil pipeline, a modern railway line and a super highway to connect the three countries.

The facts and figures related to this project, named Lapsset Corridor, are staggering. On completion, the project will have cost $25b. This colossal amount of money will be pumped into building a brand new large capacity sea port at Lamu in Kenya, 1,600km of a modern railway line from South Sudan through Kenya to Ethiopia, 1,700km of superhighway running through the same countries, anew oil pipeline and three international airports, possibly two in Kenya (Lamu and Isiolo) and one airport either in Juba or Abyei inside South Sudan.

Building an ultramodern railway line from Juba to Addis Ababa is sure to transform the Horn of Africa, boost trade, tourism, cultures and rejuvenate a new impetus for intra-Africa trade in this region.

In respect to this grand regional project, I am saddened that Uganda is missing out; that as other countries are discussing regional super-infrastructure development, we Ugandans, specifically leaders, are busy talking thieves, term limits and cheap politics.

As Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia are discussing where and how to raise the $25b for the project, we the political leaders are going after each others’ throats. As Mwai Kibaki, Meles Zenawi and Salva Kiir ponder on how they will equitably share out the net benefits of the Lapsset Corridor project, we are busy discussing which minister is next in line for censure.

It will not come as a surprise that a country like South Sudan, which has just emerged from three decades of war, will outpace Uganda in terms of development. Currently, South Sudan is one of the world’s most least developed countries, with no infrastructure to talk about. This perhaps explains their hunger and thirst for opportunities that will place them on the pedestal of real development.

It shouldn’t also come as a surprise that Kenya and Ethiopia as Lapsset Corridor members, are fighting to liberate Somalia so that Somalia becomes part of this project.  I don’t want to believe that Kenya’s and Ethiopia’s interests in the Somalia war are just about regional peace. No, it is all about having an expanded territory in the pursuit for regional real development.

Pedestrian politics, including church and ideological intrigue is robbing us of the chance to benefit from such regional projects. Our talk and debate should focus more on real development than on attacks directed at felling others.

Assuming Uganda was part of this project; chances are that we would build a modern oil refinery to serve the entire region, given our status as an oil producing country. The beauty of it is that the Uganda government wouldn’t entirely foot the costs of building the refinery, rather, each country involved in the Lapsset Corridor project would contribute towards the refinery. Now that Kenya has discovered oil, it will benefit from joint funding to build a modern refinery.  

As a country, we need to strategically position ourselves to take advantage of the collective pool of resources at regional level if we are to realise our cherished objective of ensuring a modern and prosperous, middle class and industrialised country. Kenya has a similar vision, dubbed “Vision 2020” complete with a secretariat.

By the time we are through with our pedestrian politics and intrigue, it will be too late to realise that we should have savored the moment to actively be part of the $25b Lapsset Corridor project.

The writer is Youth MP-Central region and NRM Caucus General Secretary