Uganda legislators, railway managers disagree on coaches for AFCON
During a press briefing on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, in Kawolo-Lugazi Municipality, Physical Infrastructure Committee Chairperson Mwine Mpaka Rwamirama raised objections to the leasing plan while inspecting Imathia, a Spanish firm that manufactures railway sleepers.
Namanve train station inset. (Photo by Teopista Nakamya)
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Lawmakers and the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) have expressed differing views on a proposal to lease coaches for transporting supporters ahead of the upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Pamoja tournament.
This continental football masterpiece is scheduled to take place from Saturday, June 19, 2027, to Saturday, July 17, 2027, across three East African Community (EAC) countries: Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, in Kawolo-Lugazi Municipality, Physical Infrastructure Committee Chairperson Mwine Mpaka Rwamirama raised objections to the leasing plan while inspecting Imathia, a Spanish firm that manufactures railway sleepers.
URC Managing Director Benon Kajuna had mentioned during a stopover at the Namanve train station that the plan was to acquire 30 additional coaches, which would come with about two locomotives (engines).
Numerous assets of the railway are in dire need of a refresh to bring them back to life!. (Photo by Teopista Nakamya)
However, Mpaka emphasised that while he supported increasing funding for URC, he believed the coaches should be brand new.
"Leasing will incur higher costs for the taxpayer compared to purchasing our own coaches. We can buy them in phases since we already have existing wagons. All we need to do is upgrade these wagons and install more comfortable seats, as we currently have 426 existing wagons available. We should focus on enhancing our current coaches instead of leasing new ones," he stated.
He also mentioned that his committee intends to benchmark with regional countries to learn best practices for operating an efficient and vibrant railway system.
"We have a team, led by Deputy Chairperson Eng. Tiyo William-Ayivu East, leaving the country this Sunday to benchmark on the standard gauge railway. Although today we are looking at the meter gauge, we know there is a program to work on the standard gauge and that financing has been identified for it. The team will be benchmarking in both Kenya and Tanzania," Mpaka revealed.
Move to refurbish Namanve train station
“We need support to establish this facility as a park-and-ride option. This development will require fencing, lighting, and paving, all of which are capital-intensive. The railway system has suffered from neglect for the past 20 years, and we are currently facing the consequences of that neglect. With your support and proper capitalisation of the railway, we can have these facilities in place within the next five years,” Kajuna stated.
He added, “The funding we are receiving started coming in at the end of the last quarter as supplementary money. However, since 2018, the government has allocated about Sh574 million per year, which is insufficient.”
Eng. William Taylor Tiyo, vice chairperson of the Physical Infrastructure Committee (Ayivu East, NRM), and Nathan Byanyima (Bukanga North, NRM) both agreed that the entity deserves more support.
“We encourage the government to invest significantly in improving the railway system. This investment will help reduce traffic congestion on our main roads for both cargo and passengers. People from areas like Mukono should be able to park their cars here and take the train to Kampala, where parking is limited,” Byanyima pointed out.
Tiyo added, "We were informed that one train trip can carry 600 people and makes two trips, totalling 1,200 passengers. From an engineering perspective, for people to embrace this mode of transport, it must be safe, affordable, reliable, and cost-effective."