the challenges facing landlocked developing countries: a case study ...

Despite these improvements, the road corridor continues to suffer from the volatile heavy
rains of the region. The recent rains caused by El Niño, for example, destroyed several
bridges on the Kampala-Mombasa route and precipitated landslides, resulting in the closure
of “East Africa’s umbilical cord.” The failure of the railway to provide any significant
competition has further hindered the development of the road corridor.
In the late 1970s, Uganda’s notably good domestic road system (previously considered the
best in Eastern Africa) fell into a state of neglect and deterioration. It is estimated that there
was a 75% loss in road network investment due to deterioration during this period (World
Bank 2001). Responding to the high transport costs and negative economic growth, the
Ugandan government committed itself to improving transport infrastructure. By 1995,
approximately 70% of Uganda’s main roads were considered to be in good condition – a
dramatic improvement from the 10% figure of 1986. Roads are generally considered to be
better in the major centres of southern Uganda and less well developed in the north.
For details on the Central Corridor, see the section of this report on Burundi.
Rail
The Ugandan rail system has fallen victim to decades of poor maintenance, and now
accounts for only 10% of total domestic freight and 30% of external trade freight. Only the
Kampala to Kenya line of the original colonial rail network remains operational, and only for
freight (EIU 2002). While this line has the potential to reduce the burden of transit freight on
the Kampala-Mombasa highway, its dilapidated condition and undependability prevent it
from doing so in any significant quantity. It is estimated that an average freight trip from
Kampala to Mombasa takes 21 days, with trips often taking as many as 60 days. The
undependability of the rail arrivals often make it impossible to book ships ahead of time at
the port of Mombasa, causing further delays. To deal with these shortcomings, East African
countries are beginning to show increased cooperation. Tanzanian railways, for example, is
now offering Ugandan businesses their own “dedicated wagons” which will help alleviate
delays at ports. The possibility of creating a new rail network linking East, Central and
Southern Africa through Uganda and Zambia is also being discussed, with support from the
governments of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Zambia.
Ports/Waterways
Uganda primarily uses the ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam, with Mombasa carrying the
bulk of Uganda’s freight. Efforts were recently made by Tanzania to improve the port of Dar
es Salaam in order to attract trade from the landlocked countries of the region. These have
witnessed some success. Ugandan bound imports through the port of Dar es Salaam
increased by 10,000 tons from January to October of 2000. The port of Mombasa has also
witnessed recent improvements, most notably the US$65 million grain handling facility,
which will help relieve general congestion and decrease ships’ turn-around times. Many of
the recent improvements undertaken by these ports can be seen as a product of the direct
competition between Dar es Salaam and Mombasa for East Africa’s landlocked countries’
trade.
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