Uganda Railways boss Kajuna on spot as 394 wagons worth Shs 220bn ‘disappear’

What the report says

The Observer reports that Parliament has instructed Uganda Railways Corporation managing director Benon Kajuna to make a statement to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations over 394 railway wagons said to be unaccounted for. The wagons are valued at more than Shs 220.8 billion. The directive was issued on July 23, 2026, during a session of Parliament’s physical infrastructure committee chaired by Mbarara City South MP Mwine Mpaka.

According to the report, the committee was dissatisfied with URC’s explanation and asked the corporation to quickly provide proof of joint work with Kenya Railways Corporation to locate the wagons. MPs said the documents tabled did not confirm the Kenyan side’s position on the rolling stock. The issue traces back to the Auditor General’s December 2025 report, which found that URC could not physically verify 131 of its wagons by November 2024; 18 were later traced, leaving 113 still missing. Another 281 Kenya Railways wagons under URC custody were also reportedly not accounted for.

Kajuna, who reportedly took office in early 2025, told MPs that tracing wagons involves ongoing verification and coordination with Kenya Railways, including joint committees and regular meetings. MPs including Samuel Opio, Ssebbugga Kimeze and Emmanuel Ilukol raised concerns about traceability, taxpayer exposure and possible diplomatic implications because many of the missing assets belong to Kenya.

The matter is significant because railway wagons are central to Uganda’s freight system on the Northern Corridor linking the country to the Port of Mombasa. The Observer’s report points to broader questions about URC’s asset registers, security at rail facilities and cross-border management of railway equipment.