Residents who have encroached on land belonging to the Uganda Railway Corporation (URC) are refusing to make way for the rehabilitation of the railway line. In 2020, before the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) was undertaken, URC signed a contract with the Spanish contractor Imathia Construction to build a concrete‑sleeper railway from Kampala to Mukono. In February 2024, the China Road and Bridge Corporation completed the section from Mukono to Malaba, supplying and installing new track, ballasting, culverts and upgrading level crossings. The second phase, scheduled to begin on 3 April 2024, involves the Spanish contractor rehabilitating the line from Mukono to Kampala, but progress has stalled because residents have refused to vacate.
The contractor asked residents to move at least 10 metres away from the railway reserve to allow smooth construction. Some residents, whose permanent houses and businesses are within the reserve, have declined to evacuate, claiming they will be adversely affected. Officials estimate that at least 9,000 people in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono will be impacted by the project, although most will not be affected by the 10‑metre requirement. Akram Bazirwana, chairperson of the affected persons, told the *Nile Post* that the 10‑metre demand is excessive and that “officials don’t want to use the word eviction, but let us not pretend—this is going to be eviction.” Naume Tumuhairwe, councillor for Kireka Railway in Kira Municipality, said many people now live in fear of possible eviction and called for modest compensation: “URC wants development, but this cannot happen without people.”
David Musoke Bulega, acting managing director of URC, said the locals’ refusal to leave is hindering progress. He noted that in 2022 the government launched a Resettlement Action Plan to register all settlers and their property on URC land, with the aim of compensating them and facilitating their exit from the reserves. “The government has not yet secured funds to compensate all those registered, but compensation will be paid as soon as the funds become available,” Bulega told the *Nile Post* after a stakeholder engagement meeting in Bweyogerere attended by local leaders from Kampala, Buikwe, Mukono and Wakiso districts. He warned that project delays could jeopardise the funding agreement, risking loss of financing. “The project will achieve a more stable track that supports higher train speeds, passenger comfort, and efficient freight and passenger services offered by URC,” he added.
The refusal of encroachers to leave has angered many leaders, including Wakiso District chairperson Matia Lwang Bwanika, who urged locals to stop pretending they own any land on the railway reserves. “Sometimes we become problematic, yet we know in the back of our minds that we don’t own anything. Let’s not claim ownership we do not have,” he advised.
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