The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (CCTTFA), and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH are jointly implementing the Green Infrastructure Corridors for Intra-African Trade programme piloted in the Central Corridor in East Africa.

As a support to the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa, this programme is implemented for the benefit of African countries and regional organisations. Through PIDA’s Service Delivery Mechanism (SDM), the project support in the Central Corridor aims to provide technical advisory service and mobilise funding with a strong focus on climate finance and promoting low-carbon and climate-resilient infrastructure.

On the 26th to the 29th of September 2023, a team of experts from the tripartite partnership embarked on a technical scoping mission for the PIDA project: the Modernization/Extension of Port Bell project (Uganda) which has been previously appraised by the SDM and selected to receive technical advisory services from the SDM Expert Service Pool (ESP). The purpose of the mission was to conduct a site visit to the port and engage with the project owners, key partners, and potential partners/funders for the feasibility study of the project. The project, led by Uganda Railways Corporation, aims to increase the port’s handling capacity (cargo and passenger) by modernizing the existing infrastructure and transforming it into a green port with the use of technologies that contribute to climate mitigation, adaptation and to make the port climate resilient.

With the future development of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) linking Mwanza to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Mombasa to Kisumu in Kenya, the amount of freight handled at Port Bell and Lake Victoria’s activity is expected to increase. Thus, it is important that Port Bell is upgraded to meet the increasing in demand for freight handling capacity across Lake Victoria.

Currently, the project is in the pre-feasibility stage and has received funding to rehabilitate the railway line and upgrade the link which integrates multi-modal operations at the port.

As part of the modernization and extension plans, URC intends to procure container-handling vessels and discontinue the use of wagon vessels to increase market opportunities. In addition, the access road to Port Bell is currently being rehabilitated and an expressway two kilometers away from Port Bell is planned for 2025.

The modernisation and expansion of the port is a priority for the Ugandan Ministry of Works and Transport and Uganda Railways Corporation as the project has the potential to lower emissions and improve transportation, which will support the targeted economic growth and the corridor and region-wide infrastructure connectivity plans. Through the SDM, AUDA-NEPAD, CCTTFA, and GIZ will continue to provide advisory services to Uganda Railways Corporation on the project, commencing with the joint review and update (with the project owners) of the Terms of Reference for the feasibility study which will be shared with potential funders in an effort to mobilise finances.