08 May 2025
Bayobab Uganda has announced the successful launch of its latest and shortest fibre optic route.
This new infrastructure, known as the Uganda Railway National Long Distance (NLD) route, stretches from Malaba to Kampala, significantly enhancing digital connectivity between Uganda and Kenya.
This transformative infrastructure project aligns with MTN's broader vision of providing connectivity to all by expanding its fibre footprint across its operating markets. The strategic route spans 260km from Kampala to Tororo, with an extension to Malaba, establishing a vital link between the two countries.
Construction of this route took place between December 2024 and February 2025. It provides reliable, high-capacity connectivity from Uganda's capital directly to Bayobab’s subsea cable landing stations in Mombasa, leveraging the recently completed Mombasa to Malaba/Busia fibre route in Kenya to create a complete digital backbone connecting Kampala to Mombasa.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Kampala, Juliet Nsubuga, the Managing Director of Bayobab Uganda, emphasized the company's response to the growing need for technological transformation across Uganda and the wider region.
"In collaboration with the Uganda Railway, we leveraged the existing rail network to deploy fibre, enhancing connectivity and providing high-speed internet access to communities along the line, connecting key routes between Kampala and Malaba at the Kenyan border – and beyond," said Nsubuga.
This new route is designed to meet the needs of international and national technology and digital players, as well as telecommunications companies and internet service providers that serve communities, demonstrating Bayobab's commitment to connecting Africa.
This new fibre line is a valuable addition to Bayobab's existing fibre network in Uganda, which includes cables along the Busia–Jinja–Mabira–Kampala, Malaba–Kamuli–Kayunga–Jinja–Kampala, and Malaba–Tororo–Lira–Karuma–Masindi–Luweero–Kampala routes, as part of a broader infrastructure strategy.
As a landlocked nation, Uganda's access to high-speed internet and global digital infrastructure is heavily dependent on cross-border connectivity. The newly launched route offers the shortest and newest connection from Kampala to the Kenya–Uganda border, utilizing Bayobab Kenya's infrastructure to reach the Mombasa subsea landing points. This route serves as a powerful alternative to existing fibre systems, providing crucial route diversity and significantly improving network reliability through reduced latency and increased resilience.
