Who owns East Africa’s Corridors?

What the report says

The Independent Uganda’s analysis says East Africa’s transport corridors are becoming a major arena for foreign investment as governments look for financing to expand ports, railways and logistics systems linking landlocked economies to global markets. The piece focuses on Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port and Kenya’s Mombasa port, both described as strategic gateways for trade into the region’s interior.

According to the report, Dar es Salaam is serving seven landlocked countries and generated $120 million in revenue between April and September 2025, while Tanzania aims to raise its capacity to 30 million tonnes by 2030. In Kenya, Mombasa handles about 45 million tonnes of cargo a year and is tied to the Standard Gauge Railway, built by China Road and Bridge Corporation and financed largely through China’s Exim Bank. The article also notes that Dubai-based DP World has expanded its role in regional ports and logistics.

The analysis argues that Chinese firms were early movers in East African infrastructure, building railways, highways, power projects and digital networks in countries including Kenya and Uganda. It says Emirati and other investors are now entering ports, logistics, energy and agriculture, creating a wider contest over control of trade routes. The story places this in the context of a large regional infrastructure gap, citing an OECD estimate that East Africa needs about $42 billion in annual investment through 2040.