By Joseph Kiggundu
The Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure has been told that a company linked to businessman Godfrey Kirumira has taken possession of land belonging to the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC).
The matter arose during a committee meeting chaired by Hon. Mwine Mpaka on Thursday, July 30, 2026, as legislators questioned URC officials led by Managing Director Benon Kajuna over missing railway wagons, disputed railway land, procurement concerns, and staff training within the corporation.
The contested property measures about 1.3 acres and is located directly opposite the Uganda Railways headquarters in Kampala, across from Victoria University.
Kajuna told the committee that the land was originally leased by the former Kampala District Land Board to Kampala City Council (KCC) for 99 years in 2000. He explained that KCC later granted a five-year lease to Philadelphia Trade and Industry Limited on June 1, 2006.
According to Kajuna, the company later applied to convert the lease into a 99-year interest, but the process was allegedly halted after a caveat was lodged over the property in 2012.
“There was an intention to extend the interest to 99 years, but this did not happen. On April 27, 2012, a caveat was lodged over the property before completion of the proposed extension,” Kajuna said.
However, Committee Chairperson Mwine Mpaka disputed that account, saying the committee had carried out its own investigations and found that Philadelphia Trade and Industry Limited currently holds a 99-year lease over the land.
“We conducted a search as a committee and found that he (Kirumira) actually has a 99-year lease on this land, and he is linked to MS Philadelphia,” Mpaka said.
Mpaka added that a search conducted with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) indicated that Philadelphia Trade and Industry Limited is owned by members of the Kirumira family.
The committee is expected to summon Kirumira to explain the circumstances under which the company acquired the lease.
On broader land management issues, Kajuna said URC has repeatedly written to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development seeking the return of land titles retained during the privatisation process, but has not received a response.
He warned that the corporation may be forced to apply for special certificates of title using available records if the matter remains unresolved.
Kajuna also outlined measures being undertaken to protect railway land, including boundary reopening, title migration, re-surveys, and legal action against illegal titles. He revealed that more than 24,600 encroachment cases have been identified along the railway corridor.
The URC Managing Director further disclosed that government has invested more than Shs100 billion in rehabilitating the metre-gauge railway and an additional Shs105 billion in the acquisition and rehabilitation of rolling stock and other critical railway infrastructure.
He said the investments are intended to improve freight operations, strengthen passenger services, and restore confidence in rail transport as a cost-effective means of moving cargo.
On railway safety, Kajuna said URC has intensified measures to reduce accidents, including upgrading level crossings, installing boom barriers, deploying crossing guards at high-risk points, and conducting public awareness campaigns on the safe use of railway infrastructure.