On Tuesday, MTN’s digital infrastructure division Bayobab declared that it had finished a 260-kilometre fibre line in Uganda that connects Malaba to Kampala. This line connects to Bayobab’s recently finished fibre line in Kenya, which runs from Malaba to Mombasa.
From Kampala to Tororo, with an extension to Malaba, the new Uganda fibre route follows the Uganda Railway corridor. It was built between December 2024 and February 2025.
Bayobab’s fibre link, which was finished in August 2024, runs along the Kenya Railways metre gauge route from Malaba and Busia to Mombasa, giving Uganda a direct, low-latency link with more than 1 Tbps of capacity into Kenya’s larger digital infrastructure.
According to Bayobab, the new Malaba-Kampala route provides Uganda with the most reliable and expedient route to the Kenya-Uganda border and from there to the landing stations for subsea cables in Mombasa.
Kenya’s position as regional digital gateway
According to Bayobab Kenya’s MD, Sylvia Anampiu, the route solidifies Kenya’s standing as a regional digital gateway.
“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,” she said in a statement.
According to Juliet Nsubuga, MD of Bayobab, Uganda, the Uganda Fibre Route facilitates hyperscalers and businesses aiming to grow in the East African region by connecting key data centres in Kenya and Uganda.
“This new route caters to the needs of international and national technology and digital players, as well as telecoms and ISPs that serve communities, demonstrating our commitment to connecting Africa,” she said.