Parliament has ordered the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) to explain the disappearance of 394 railway wagons that were reportedly held at Nyahururu in central Kenya and have not been traced.
The matter was raised before Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure, chaired by Mbarara City South MP Hon. Mwine Mpaka, which questioned the circumstances surrounding the missing assets and demanded a detailed account of the wagons’ current status.
The committee directed URC officials including Uganda Railways Corporation Managing Director Benon M. Kajuna and Board Chairperson Hon. Julius Maganda Wandera to provide records showing the number of wagons involved, their ownership status, location history and efforts made to recover them.
“Even if a single wagon is still missing, we shall arrest you,” Hon. Mpaka warned during the proceedings.
The missing wagons issue dates back to the period when Uganda’s railway operations were managed under the Rift Valley Railways (RVR) concession, which operated the Kenya-Uganda railway network between 2006 and 2017.
In 2006, the governments of Uganda and Kenya handed over management of their railway systems to Rift Valley Railways, a private consortium, under a concession agreement aimed at improving efficiency, increasing investment and modernising railway transport.
The concession covered operations on the historic metre-gauge railway linking Mombasa Port through Kenya to Uganda, a critical trade route for landlocked Uganda.
However, the concession faced several challenges, including financial difficulties, disagreements with governments, declining performance and concerns over management of railway assets.
The agreement was eventually terminated in 2017, after which railway operations returned to state control through the respective railway corporations.
The disappearance of the wagons has raised concerns over the management and protection of public assets during and after the RVR concession period.
Uganda Railways Corporation owns significant railway equipment, including locomotives, passenger coaches and cargo wagons used to transport goods between Uganda and neighbouring countries.
Members of Parliament are seeking clarification on whether the missing wagons were lost, sold, damaged, abandoned or transferred during the transition from private concession management back to government control.
They also want officials to explain who was responsible for safeguarding the assets and whether any recovery efforts have been made.
Rail transport plays a key role in Uganda’s economy, particularly in moving imports and exports through the Northern Corridor, which connects the country to the Port of Mombasa in Kenya.
Railway transport is considered cheaper for bulk goods such as fuel, minerals, agricultural products and industrial materials compared with road transport.
Uganda has been working to revive railway infrastructure after years of decline, including plans to modernise existing railway lines and improve regional trade connections.
The parliamentary inquiry comes amid broader efforts by legislators to examine the management of government assets and public resources.
The committee said it expects URC to provide comprehensive documentation on the missing wagons and clarify whether any individuals or institutions should be held responsible.
The investigation will focus on events during the RVR concession period and the transition that followed its termination in 2017.
Uganda Railways Corporation has not yet publicly responded to the committee’s warning, but officials are expected to appear before Parliament to provide explanations.
The outcome of the inquiry could determine whether further action, including legal proceedings against responsible officials, will be taken.
