The Uganda Railways Corporation will begin operations to remove illegal occupants from railway reserve land starting Monday, October 19, according to an update on its X account. The initial focus will be the Kampala-Mityana, Mubende and Kamwenge-Kasese railway corridors, with plans to extend the operation to the Busoga railway line covering Kamuli, Luuka, Jinja, Kaliiro and other areas.
Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama directed the corporation to carry out the evictions and demolish illegal structures following Cabinet concerns about ongoing occupation of railway reserves. Byamukama told Parliament that approximately 28,486 cases of encroachment had been identified across railway corridors, station land and other corporation properties. He said the encroachment had disrupted railway rehabilitation plans, particularly affecting the Busoga line.
The evictions have sparked debate in Parliament about whether railway reserve boundaries are clearly measured and whether affected communities received adequate consultation. Some legislators questioned the enforcement approach during parliamentary debate, prompting the Speaker to refer the matter to Parliament's Committee on Physical Infrastructure for investigation.
The government says the reclamation exercise is necessary to free railway corridors for infrastructure rehabilitation, improve railway safety and enable future expansion. The corporation has cautioned that occupants of railway reserve land, including those with disputed land titles, could be affected by the enforcement operation.