By Maria Mariam Namala

KAMPALA — Government has identified 28,486 cases of encroachment on railway corridors, station land and other Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) properties, raising concerns over the impact on railway rehabilitation and infrastructure protection.

Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama told Parliament on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, that railway activities and developments must observe a reserve corridor extending 30 metres on either side of the railway centre line, creating a total width of 60 metres in line with the standards and guidelines of the National Physical Planning Act.

Byamukama said URC’s railway network covers 20,807 acres, of which 9,823 acres constitute reserve land. His clarification follows a directive issued to the corporation on September 29, 2026, to evict encroachers and demolish illegal structures within the railway reserve.

“During the 10th Cabinet meeting held on 28 September 2026, concerns were raised on the existing encroachments on railway reserves which has affected implementation of the Meter Gauge Railway rehabilitation programmes,” Byamukama said.

He said the encroachments had affected railway infrastructure, particularly along the Busoga loop, where occupation of railway land had undermined the integrity of the network.

The minister added that URC had previously engaged occupants in collaboration with security agencies, but some claimed their occupation had been authorised through allocations by State House.

“However, the corporation has not been presented with documentary evidence substantiating these claims,” he said.

Byamukama said URC was pursuing measures to recover the land through surveys, protection of land titles and litigation, alongside preparations for evictions and community sensitisation.

“The activities being undertaken include preparation of eviction schedules covering railway corridors and station land, stakeholders’ sensitization, engagement with affected communities and coordination with relevant enforcement agencies,” he said.

However, the minister’s statement prompted questions from Jinja North Division MP Hussein Muyonjo, who challenged the stated width of the reserve corridor, particularly along the Busoga loop of the Mukono-Malaba railway line.

Muyonjo, a National Unity Platform legislator, said government had previously issued land titles in areas surrounding the railway line and recalled an engagement with former Works and Transport Minister Edward Katumba Wamala, during which he said the reserve had been described as 15 metres on either side, or 30 metres in total.

Works Minister, Hon. Byamukama

“In the engagement with the minister by then, he specifically stated that it is 15 metres on either side for a 30-metre reserve corridor. When was the new survey of 60 metres taken? Did they engage the community?” Muyonjo asked.

The dispute prompted Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth to refer the matter to Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure for further investigation.

Oboth directed the committee to examine the conflicting accounts over the reserve corridor’s width, visit the Busoga loop and consult residents affected by the proposed enforcement measures.

“The committee will investigate the contradiction on the space of the reserve corridor and visit the Busoga loop railway line and interact with the locals. We shall give the committee 30 days to investigate,” the Speaker said.

The inquiry is expected to establish the applicable reserve boundaries and clarify the concerns raised by communities as government moves to recover railway land and protect infrastructure targeted for rehabilitation.