Nairobi, Kenya – 6 May 2025 – Bayobab, an MTN Group company, today celebrates a major milestone in East Africa’s connectivity landscape with the unveiling of the Kenya Railway - Uganda Railway NLD Mombasa to Kampala Route. This strategic fibre infrastructure is a transformative cross-border project, deepening digital integration between Uganda and Kenya.
The new fibre route spans 260 km along the Uganda Railway corridor from Kampala to Tororo, with an extension to Malaba, providing a direct and low-latency link into Kenya’s broader digital infrastructure. In 2024, Kenya launched the National Long Distance (NLD) fibre that runs from Mombasa to Malaba along the Kenya Railways Meter Gauge Route (MGR). The route connects into Bayobab’s subsea cable systems in Mombasa, strengthening the East African Corridor and enabling high-capacity data transmission from Uganda to the world.
Regional gateway unlocks new pathways
"Kenya’s position as a regional digital gateway is further cemented by this cross-border collaboration. By interconnecting with Uganda via this high-capacity route, we are enhancing regional digital resilience, creating alternative routes for traffic, and opening new opportunities for businesses and communities along the corridor. This is not just fibre in the ground — it’s a new pathway for digital transformation across East Africa,"reflected Sylvia Anampiu, Managing Director: Bayobab Kenya.
Constructed from December 2024 to February 2025, the Kampala-Malaba project, with onward connectivity into Kenya’s Mombasa-Malaba route, reflects Bayobab’s focus on advancing seamless digital interconnectivity across the continent. The fibre is securely laid along the railway infrastructure, safeguarding it from common road-related disruptions and ensuring stable, secure, and uninterrupted connectivity.
Bridging nations, empowering growth
For Uganda, a landlocked nation, this new route offers the shortest and most resilient path to the Kenya–Uganda border and onward to Mombasa’s subsea cable landing stations. This ensures low-latency, high-capacity connectivity and provides a vital alternative to existing fibre routes.
The fibre system supports both rural connectivity and high-demand enterprise use, while connecting major data centres across Uganda and Kenya. This cross-border interconnection supports hyperscalers and enterprises looking to expand within the East African region.
Bayobab remains committed to building a digitally connected Africa through innovative, secure, and high-impact infrastructure. The Mombasa-Malaba Kampala fibre route is just one of many cross-border projects designed to connect Africa to itself – and to the world.
For media inquiries, interviews or further information, please contact:
Mark Tindi: mark.tindi@bayobab.africa
Edith Sekere: edith.sekere@bayobab.africa
About Bayobab
Bayobab, an MTN Group company, is deeply anchored in a culture enriched by decades of excellence. Bayobab is rooted in local and global partnerships to deliver next-gen digital services that connect Africa. Bayobab Kenya is part of Bayobab, a digital infrastructure provider driving cross-border connectivity and digital transformation across Africa.
