KAMPALA, Uganda – Bayobab Uganda, an MTN Group company, has launched a new fiber optic route connecting Kampala to Malaba, near the Kenyan border, the company announced Wednesday.
The 260-kilometer route, completed between December 2024 and February 2025, links Uganda’s capital directly to Bayobab’s subsea cable landing stations in Mombasa, Kenya. Bayobab said the route will enhance digital infrastructure along the East African corridor.
“This new route caters to the needs of international and national technology and digital players, telecoms and ISPs that serve the communities,” said Juliet Nsubuga, Managing Director of Bayobab Uganda, at an unveiling ceremony in Kampala.
As a landlocked nation, Uganda relies on cross-border fiber connections for international internet access. Bayobab said the new route will provide a shorter and faster connection to Mombasa, offering an alternative to existing systems and improving network reliability.
Julianne Mweheire, representing the Uganda Communications Commission, said the route “aligns perfectly with Uganda’s national agenda to digitize services, expand connectivity, and close the gap between urban and rural access.”
MTN CEO Sylvia Mulinge said the route supports the company’s vision of expanding connectivity in Uganda.
Bayobab is expanding its fiber network across Africa to meet demand from telecom operators, internet service providers, and technology companies. The company said the new route offers capacity of over 1 terabyte and low-latency, high-redundancy connectivity to data centers in Kampala.
