TRANSPORT | RAILWAY | TRAINING 

KAMPALA - The state minister for transport, Fred Byamukama, has asked Uganda Railway Corporation employees to ensure the proper management and accountability of all resources at their disposal. 

This was during the commissioning of the Railway Capacity Building Center at Nalukolongo, Rubaga Division in Kampala. 

Nalukolongo houses the URC terminal, public yard, warehouse and land. 

Byamukama said that the growth of the railway sector is necessary for the development of Uganda. 

Benon Kajuna, the director of transport at the ministry of works and transport who represented Byamukama said that setting up the centre was part of the efforts to transform Uganda Railways Corporation into a profitable and self-sustaining entity. 

He said the concession of Uganda Railways Corporation to Rift Valleys Railway in 2018 had failed and it is cancelled with Government now sustaining efforts to revamp it. 

Kajuna said that in line with Vision 2040 government has undertaken to provide resources for a number of projects, one of them being capacity building for the railway workforce. 

“Capacity building is the quickest way of creating a knowledgeable workforce that is needed to drive Uganda Railways to greater heights”, Kajuna added. 

He noted that the massive investment by Government in rail and water transport is aimed at removing the heavy cargo from the roads onto the rail. 

He said this will save money that would have been spent to maintain damaged roads due to the heavy trucks that ply them and reduce the cost of transportation for imports and exports. 

The capacity-building programme is funded by the Spanish government at a cost of cost Euros 4.8m (sh19.2b). 

The company implementing the project is a Spanish company called Consultrans. 

The company has a reputation for modernising railway infrastructure. 

Consultrans will rehabilitate the railway line from Kampala City to Mukono District. 

Consultrans founded in 1985 specialises in creating innovative solutions for all modes of transport, road, maritime, air and rail transport, both passenger and freight. 

Consultrans’ core activities related to the railway sector are relevant in transport infrastructure and civil engineering. 

Julian Valerde, the President of Consultrans commended Government of Uganda for the move to transform railway transport in Uganda. 

He noted that this commitment is a step in the right direction to transform lives of Ugandans in line with the priorities of Government.   

Stanley Sendegeya, the managing director of Uganda Railways Corporation urged the workforce to embrace the programme. 

“The programme is here to grow your knowledge base. It is this knowledge that will help you to appreciate your contribution to the strategic plan of the corporation”, Sendegeya said. 

He called upon the workforce to embrace change and be committed stakeholders. 

“We may have some challenges now, many of which are not our creation, but with your undivided commitment to your job, and the desire to make Uganda Railways efficient and effective, the railway sub-sector in Uganda will thrive”, Sendegeya said. 

Government and development partners are rehabilitating the Kampala – Malaba rail line to facilitate a seamless movement of goods from Malaba to Kampala and vice versa, rehabilitation of the Gulu to Pakwach and Kampala to Kasese lines among others. 

Plans are underway to expand passenger transport from Kampala to Jinja and Kyengera. 

Sendegeya said that this initiative will reduce congestion on the roads while saving time and money for passengers on those routes. 

This project will be realized in the next three years. 

These improvements are expected to make the railway Uganda’s biggest provider of cargo and passengers transport services transporting an estimate of six million passengers annually travelling on rail and 180,000 tons of cargo a month.