The President of South Sudan Salva Kiir arrived in Uganda yesterday along with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda for a regional summit meeting.
Acting President William Ruto is expected to represent Kenya, while Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is host.
The summit is part of the “Northern Corridor Integration Projects” spearheaded by East African countries for planning regional infrastructure, trade and political and economic integration.
New Vision newspaper in Uganda reports that the East African leaders are expected today to launch the construction of a Standard Gauge Railway project, which will connect Nairobi and Kampala, and eventually Kigali.
Other projects include the construction of an oil pipeline and refinery, port development, and electricity generation.
On Monday the summit kicked off with a meeting of senior officials, while Tuesday witnessed a ministerial-level meeting. The heads of state will meet today.
Leaders of the East African nations have also been invited to participate in Uganda’s independence day celebrations on Thursday.
Uganda’s Museveni has been a key ally to Salva Kiir since the start of the civil war in South Sudan in December 2013, but his government has also recently opened contacts with the rebel group SPLM-IO, in what it says is an effort to support the IGAD mediated peace process.
File photo: Kiir and Museveni in Juba