Thousands of people on Wednesday rushed to the opening of a new 525-metre long bridge spanning the Nile River in southern Uganda.
Thousands race to witness new Nile Bridge in Uganda
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni officially opened the new 525-metre long bridge spanning the Nile River in southern part of the country.
Museveni cut a ribbon to open the bridge in the town of Jinja, which has been dubbed ‘The Source of the Nile’ bridge.
The structure was funded by a $112 million loan from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency.
Local media reported that many people travelled from neighbouring towns to be amongst the first to cross.
Masahisa Sato, the State Foreign Affairs Minister of Japan, was also present at the ceremony.
Jinja thoroughfare that the bridge connects is a busy import-export route for Uganda through Kenya and, as such, provides the economic lifeline for the landlocked country.
Museveni commissions first suspended cable bridge in Uganda https://t.co/vX974tll2q— mic (@MicahMula) October 19, 2018
It is hoped the bridge will become a new tourist attraction for the area being the fifth longest cable bridge in Africa.