Kenyan President William Ruto has sought the United Arab Emirates’ financial backing to extend Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to Uganda and South Sudan, fostering regional trade and integration. During talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, Ruto proposed a feasibility study for the project. This move marks a shift from Nairobi’s prior reliance on Chinese financing, as China funded the SGR’s initial construction. During his visit, Ruto signed the Kenya-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the first of its kind with an African nation. The pact will boost trade between the Emirates and Kenya by opening UAE markets to Kenyan goods. Already, the UAE ranks as Kenya’s sixth-largest export destination and second-largest source of imports. However, the agreement will bolster Kenya’s status as a gateway to East and Southern Africa.
Source: Kenyans.co.ke
