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Parliament gives URC one week to account for 395 missing wagons
The directive followed a meeting between the committee and URC officials on July 23, 2026, led by transport state minister Julius Maganda Wandera, during which MPs raised concerns over missing railway wagons, expenditure on staff training and the management of railway land.
URC boss Benon Kajuna (left) ordered to record CID statement over missing 395 railway wagons as MPs probe asset management. (Photo by Miriam Namutebi)
By: Sarah Nabakooza and Dedan Kimathi, Journalists @New Vision
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Parliament's Committee on Physical Infrastructure has directed Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) managing director Benon Kajuna to record a statement with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) over the disappearance of 395 railway wagons as lawmakers intensified scrutiny of the corporation's management of public assets.
The directive followed a meeting between the committee and URC officials on July 23, 2026, led by transport state minister Julius Maganda Wandera, during which MPs raised concerns over missing railway wagons, expenditure on staff training and the management of railway land.
Committee chairperson Mwine Mpaka Rwamirama said an inventory conducted by the committee established that the corporation could not account for 395 wagons.
URC boss Benon Kajuna (2nd left) ordered to record CID statement over missing 395 railway wagons as MPs probe asset management. (Photo by Miriam Namutebi)
According to the committee, URC believes the wagons remained in Kenya following operations under the former Rift Valley Railways concession but has not provided conclusive evidence confirming their location.
Kajuna told MPs that tracing the wagons is a joint verification exercise with Kenya Railways arising from issues dating back to the Rift Valley Railways concession. He said the two railway corporations conducted a joint wagon census in April 2026 and are reconciling records to establish the exact number and location of the assets.
However, MPs questioned why the corporation had failed to implement effective tracking systems despite recommendations by the Auditor General.
Mpaka said Kajuna had been given one week to produce evidence showing the whereabouts of the wagons.
“If he does not provide evidence within one week, we shall officially open a file regarding the disappearance of Uganda's wagons and public property,” Mpaka said.
The committee also raised concerns that some of the wagons could have disappeared within Uganda rather than Kenya and said investigations would establish whether any public assets had been stolen or unlawfully disposed of.
Lawmakers also questioned URC's decision to spend €4.8 million (about sh25b) on staff training under a Spanish-funded railway rehabilitation project.
The committee heard that the €4.8m formed part of a €19.3m loan from Spain for the rehabilitation of Uganda's metre gauge railway and was reportedly spent on capacity building in areas including customer care, railway operations, rolling stock maintenance and management.
MPs questioned whether the expenditure was supported by a training needs assessment, arguing that many of the courses appeared to cover skills staff were already expected to possess.
Bukoto Central MP Richard Sebamala said the continued financial losses at URC raised questions about the value of the training.
“If he does not provide evidence within one week, we shall officially open a file regarding the disappearance of Uganda's wagons and public property,” Mpaka said.
The committee also raised concerns that some of the wagons could have disappeared within Uganda rather than Kenya and said investigations would establish whether any public assets had been stolen or unlawfully disposed of.
Lawmakers also questioned URC's decision to spend €4.8 million (about sh25b) on staff training under a Spanish-funded railway rehabilitation project.
The committee heard that the €4.8m formed part of a €19.3m loan from Spain for the rehabilitation of Uganda's metre gauge railway and was reportedly spent on capacity building in areas including customer care, railway operations, rolling stock maintenance and management.
MPs questioned whether the expenditure was supported by a training needs assessment, arguing that many of the courses appeared to cover skills staff were already expected to possess.
Bukoto Central MP Richard Sebamala said the continued financial losses at URC raised questions about the value of the training.
“If €4.8 million was spent on training, we should by now be seeing a turnaround in URC,” he said.
Responding to the concerns, Kajuna said the training component formed part of the original project appraisal undertaken in 2019 and promised to present the committee with the appraisal report, training needs assessment and project completion report within a week.
He told MPs the money was paid directly to Spanish consultants implementing the project rather than to the corporation. He said the consultants designed and delivered the training over three years for different departments as part of the rehabilitation project.
The committee also directed URC to submit a comprehensive inventory of all its land after Kajuna revealed that a disputed two-acre property is allegedly registered in the name of businessman Godfrey Kirumira.
Kajuna said records obtained from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) indicate the land title for the disputed property is allegedly in Kirumira's name.
He added that the land measures about two acres and forms part of the corporation's ongoing efforts to establish the status of all railway land across the country.
“We want them to explain who has taken this land. We are going to invite all those people who have taken Uganda Railway Corporation land to come with their documents and establish how they acquired it,” Mpaka said.
He warned that the committee would recommend criminal investigations if it is established that public land was acquired illegally.
The committee also expressed concern over widespread encroachment on railway land and directed URC to return within one week with supporting documentation detailing ownership, titles and the status of all affected properties.
URC is expected to reappear before the committee next week with documentary evidence on the missing wagons, records supporting the staff training expenditure and a comprehensive inventory of its land holdings.
He told MPs the money was paid directly to Spanish consultants implementing the project rather than to the corporation. He said the consultants designed and delivered the training over three years for different departments as part of the rehabilitation project.
The committee also directed URC to submit a comprehensive inventory of all its land after Kajuna revealed that a disputed two-acre property is allegedly registered in the name of businessman Godfrey Kirumira.
Kajuna said records obtained from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) indicate the land title for the disputed property is allegedly in Kirumira's name.
He added that the land measures about two acres and forms part of the corporation's ongoing efforts to establish the status of all railway land across the country.
“We want them to explain who has taken this land. We are going to invite all those people who have taken Uganda Railway Corporation land to come with their documents and establish how they acquired it,” Mpaka said.
He warned that the committee would recommend criminal investigations if it is established that public land was acquired illegally.
The committee also expressed concern over widespread encroachment on railway land and directed URC to return within one week with supporting documentation detailing ownership, titles and the status of all affected properties.
URC is expected to reappear before the committee next week with documentary evidence on the missing wagons, records supporting the staff training expenditure and a comprehensive inventory of its land holdings.