Eviction of Railway Land Encroachers Begins on Monday

What the report says

Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) says it will begin a new operation on Monday, October 19, to remove people occupying railway reserve land, starting with the Kampala–Mityana, Mubende and Kamwenge–Kasese corridors. According to Nile Post, the enforcement drive is part of a broader effort to clear railway land for rehabilitation and possible expansion of Uganda’s rail network.

URC said the action will later extend to the Busoga line, including areas such as Kamuli, Luuka, Jinja and Kaliiro. The corporation has warned that illegal occupiers will not be exempt, including in cases where land titles are disputed. The article also notes that the works ministry previously ordered URC to evict encroachers and remove illegal structures after Cabinet raised concerns about continued occupation of railway reserves.

The matter has also drawn parliamentary attention. Legislators are examining questions around the exact boundaries of railway reserves, land ownership and whether communities affected by the evictions were properly consulted. The Speaker referred the issue to Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure for investigation.

Nile Post reported that the reclamation exercise is meant to improve railway safety and free up land for rehabilitation and future expansion. It comes as URC says it has identified tens of thousands of encroachment cases across railway corridors and related property, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing Uganda’s rail restoration plans.