• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Lifestyle
Uganda Railways takes over from Rift Valley Railways

Opinion: Can Uganda’s railway lines be saved?

July 21, 2021

269  killed on Ugandan roads in one month

January 30, 2023
Lions Club donates food items to slum dwellers in Nsambya

OPINION: The required “kibalo” in increasing productivity and ensuring food security

January 30, 2023
Man accuses Minister Mayanja of helping fraudsters grab his land

Man accuses Minister Mayanja of helping fraudsters grab his land

January 30, 2023
SPC on the run after gunning down police officer, crime preventer

British tourist collapses and dies at Masindi hotel

January 30, 2023
US acknowledges 2 civilians killed in 2018 Somalia airstrike

US announces top Al-Shabab commanders killed by Somali forces

January 30, 2023
EACOP says 203 physically displaced by pipeline

EACOP says 203 physically displaced by pipeline

January 30, 2023

‘Mutiny’ brewing at Finance ministry as commissioner refuses to retire, junior managers want him out

January 29, 2023
Do not shake hands; Coronvirus is real- Museveni tells Ugandans

When Museveni was poisoned

January 29, 2023
HR practitioners urged to invest in upskilling

HR practitioners urged to invest in upskilling

January 29, 2023
Burkina Faso celebrates news that the French are leaving

Burkina Faso celebrates news that the French are leaving

January 29, 2023
Logo
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • 2021 Elections Watch
      • The Election Podcast
    • Exclusive
    • Investigations
  • Education
  • Security
    • Cyber Security
  • Health
    • Coronavirus outbreak
  • Opinions
    • Columns
      • Parting Shot
      • Two Sides of a Coin
      • Bazanye’s Quick Shots
      • Mable Twegumye Zake’s #BitsOfMe&You
      • But this Year!
      • What Did I Miss?
  • Lifestyle
    • Hatmahz Kitchen
    • Food Hub
    • Let’s Talk About Sex
    • Entertainment
    • Tour & Travel
    • Love Therapist
    • Homes
  • Global
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • The Americas
  • East Africa
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
    • Ethiopia
    • Sudan
  • Technology
  • Ask the Mechanic
  • Special Reports
    • Kabaka Mutebi’s 25th Coronation Series
    • Focus on Somalia
    • Sino-Africa
    • Uganda at 56
    • Anti-Corruption Fight
    • Age Limit Map
    • Tuve Ku Kaveera
  • Sports
    • Place-It
    • StarTimes Uganda Premier League
    • Bundesliga
    • World Cup
  • Jobs
No Result
View All Result
Logo
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinions

Opinion: Can Uganda’s railway lines be saved?

We continue to read of media reports of accounts of interception and retrieval of railway materials from scrap factories particularly along Kampala – Iganga stretch

Edward Kafufu Baliddawa by Edward Kafufu Baliddawa
July 21, 2021
in Opinions
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Uganda Railways takes over from Rift Valley Railways

Uganda is trying to revive the railway transport sector

“According to the New Vision, the Minister of Works, Hon. Byamukama is reported to be puzzled and querying the Police as to how the confiscated railway sleepers worth a whopping $1mn (Shs. 3.7bn) that was deposited with Police for safe custody went missing!”

By Edward Kafufu Baliddawa

The author Edward Kafufu Balidawa

When the Imperial colonialists built the East African Railway, they had one primary goal of using it to evacuate the raw materials that were badly needed in Europe for their industrialization drive and the growth of their economies.  They embarked on dreading the treacherous terrain of East Africa and in 1901, the rail line reached Kisumu. Uganda’s line from Malaba to Kampala was completed in 1931. Subsequently extension of the line to Kasese and other parts of the country took place over years as demand and discovery of various industrial raw materials became available. Along the years, the Uganda railway did not only serve to evacuate raw materials for the industries of the country in Jinja, but also the rail transportation became a major boost to trade and tourism in the country.

 

At the advent of the Government’s policy of privatization, some 20 years ago, Uganda boasted of having a total of 1,918km of railway line. Unfortunately, currently only 400km of rail are functional. It is estimated that the country has over time incurred a loss of over $1bn (Shs. 3.7trn) in stolen railway materials.  The 400km railway line of Busoga and in Kasese have been completely uprooted and the land taken over by people who have settled on it. It is also reported that the Kampala – Port bell line has suffered a similar fate. Under the concession to Rift Valley management, the line was vandalized immensely under their watch. In order to resuscitate the line, Government spent $10mn (Shs. 37bn) on its rehabilitation, but that didn’t yield much as the line was again vandalized and made unusable.

AD-03 AD-03 AD-03
ADVERTISEMENT

It is clear that vandalism on the Uganda railway line has been triggered and exacerbated by the mushrooming of scrap metal smelting factories who seek after the railway sleepers and other metallic components of the rail line as raw materials for manufacturing steel products.

We continue to read of media reports of accounts of interception and retrieval of railway materials from scrap factories particularly along Kampala – Iganga stretch. What is most worrying though, are reports that most of such material exhibits that are deposited with the various Police Stations for safe custody after the operations and confiscation of the same by the Railway authorities somehow find themselves in the furnaces of the scrap smelting factories.

According to the New Vision story of 21st July 2021, page 32, the Minister of Works, Hon. Byamukama is reported to be puzzled and querying the Police as to how the confiscated railway sleepers worth a whopping $1mn (Shs. 3.7bn) that was deposited with Police for safe custody went missing!

Of course, this is not the first time such a miserable situation has happened. Reports have been around for sometime pointing to the connivance of employees of the Uganda Railway Corporation together with well placed people in conjunction with the security agencies in the vandalism of the railway lines.

It is now becoming clear that as long as the scrap metal factories are in operations and are need of cheap and readily locally available raw materials, the vandalism of the country’s critical infrastructure will not be limited to the railway lines only, but gradually will and has indeed extended to the road furnishings, bridges and any other available public metallic materials.

It is reported that Uganda imports 500,000 tones while it exports 200,000 tons of iron and steel products annually. The implication of these figures is that undoubtedly, there is a huge trade deficit for Uganda in this area and ways must be devised in order to reduce this deficit.

The above situation points to the need for government to quickly and decisively embark on the exploitation of the country’s huge deposits of iron ore and the establishment of an iron and steel smelting factory that will be able to supply the country’s needs for iron and steel.

By reducing its current heavy dependency on the foreign imports of iron and steel products, the country will not only be reducing its trade deficit in this area, but it will also be critically addressing the short supply of iron and steel raw materials for the various metal smelting factories across the country, thereby reducing on the current ongoing vandalism of the country’s critical and strategic infrastructure.

Developing our own iron and steel industry is the only way that we can hope to have our railway lines, bridges, ports, ferries and dams protected from vandalism.

In its extensive research titled “The Prospects of Uganda’s Iron Ore Deposits in Developing the iron and steel industry in Uganda” conducted by the National Planning Authority revealed that high grade hematite ore exists in South Western Uganda with known grades ranging from 55% to 68% Fe. It was also found out that these are typical grades required for production of quality iron for the subsequent production of quality steel products. The reserves indicated, if confirmed, are enough to support an iron and steel production value chain in the country.

According to Mr. Francis Natukunda a Geologist from the Department of Geology and Surveys in Entebbe, Uganda has over 200 million tones reserves of hematite iron ore in the Southwestern parts Uganda and 60 million tones of magnetite iron ore in the Southeastern parts of the country around Tororo. Mr. Zachary Baguma an Energy Commissioner in the Ministry of Minerals and Natural Recourse observed that “despite the existence of such huge quantities of iron ore deposits, the country hasn’t developed its steel industry and has not established an iron ore smelting plant”.

However, the researchers of NPA have a caution to sound out to government. They contend thatanalysis of the available literature does not show evidence that internationally recognized procedure for ore quantification was followed in order to arrive at the reported iron ore reserves. In their report, NPA therefore encourages government to consider the exploration of the deposits as a national agenda and therefore invest to fully evaluate the deposits and delineate a mineral resource that can be used to plan the path the iron and steel value chain development should take.

It is now clear that immediate and decisive action by government in regard to the exploitation of this country’s valuable resource is more needed now than ever. According to NPA’s Chairperson, Prof. Pamela Kasabati Mbabazi, iron and steel are the backbone of the industrialization agenda of Uganda on which the Uganda’s Vision 2040 is anchored.

So any continued procrastination in developing this industry, shall be in effect undermining and making it rather difficult to achieve the aspirations of vision 2040.

 

Tags: railwayrailway line
ShareTweetSend
Previous Post

Opinion: Lockdowns and their opportunities for the genius to hew out

Next Post

NSSF, workers clash before Museveni over mid-term savings

Edward Kafufu Baliddawa

Edward Kafufu Baliddawa

Related Posts

Lions Club donates food items to slum dwellers in Nsambya

OPINION: The required “kibalo” in increasing productivity and ensuring food security

by Edward Kafufu Baliddawa
January 30, 2023
0

The questions that must be asked and which the policy makers in Zimbabwe asked that enabled them to achieve food...

We should never repeat Margaret Zziwa’s embarrassment in EALA- Museveni

OPINION: RDCs crucial contribution to NRM’s 37-year success journey

by NP admin
January 26, 2023
0

By Sam Evidence Orikunda  As the NRM celebrates 37 years of leading Uganda,  Ugandans are  looking back at what the...

OPINION: Shame on you all Busoga MPs for endorsing Namuganza censure! 

by Edward Kafufu Baliddawa
January 25, 2023
0

I have tried to follow the events of yesterday in Parliament and those that led to the censuring of Hon....

Cabinet approves pay rise for all civil servants

Opinion: URA puts taxpayers first when mobilising revenue

by NP admin
January 18, 2023
0

By James Asiimwe Kamara Tax is a price we pay for a civilized and organized society. It is the major...

Next Post
Museveni expected to announce total lockdown as he addresses country on Covid situation today

NSSF, workers clash before Museveni over mid-term savings

ADVERTISEMENT
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
DR Congo hopes Pope Francis visit will begin healing for war-torn country

Pope Francis says, “Homosexuality is not a crime” 

January 25, 2023
ROMANCE IN THE WRONG PLACE: Soldier arrested for accepting marriage proposal on duty

Woman ordered to refund shs10m after she refuses to marry man who paid her fees 

January 26, 2023
Museveni orders Muhoozi to stop ‘tweeting fwaa’

Sack me if you want, Muhoozi challenges Museveni

January 21, 2023

269  killed on Ugandan roads in one month

January 30, 2023
Lions Club donates food items to slum dwellers in Nsambya

OPINION: The required “kibalo” in increasing productivity and ensuring food security

January 30, 2023
Man accuses Minister Mayanja of helping fraudsters grab his land

Man accuses Minister Mayanja of helping fraudsters grab his land

January 30, 2023
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Careers
Call us: +256-417-720-101
Email: [email protected]

© 2020 Nile Post Uganda Ltd. - A Next Media Services Company.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • 2021 Elections Watch
      • The Election Podcast
    • Exclusive
    • Investigations
  • Education
  • Security
    • Cyber Security
  • Health
    • Coronavirus outbreak
  • Opinions
    • Columns
      • Parting Shot
      • Two Sides of a Coin
      • Bazanye’s Quick Shots
      • Mable Twegumye Zake’s #BitsOfMe&You
      • But this Year!
      • What Did I Miss?
  • Lifestyle
    • Hatmahz Kitchen
    • Food Hub
    • Let’s Talk About Sex
    • Entertainment
    • Tour & Travel
    • Love Therapist
    • Homes
  • Global
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • The Americas
  • East Africa
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
    • Ethiopia
    • Sudan
  • Technology
  • Ask the Mechanic
  • Special Reports
    • Kabaka Mutebi’s 25th Coronation Series
    • Focus on Somalia
    • Sino-Africa
    • Uganda at 56
    • Anti-Corruption Fight
    • Age Limit Map
    • Tuve Ku Kaveera
  • Sports
    • Place-It
    • StarTimes Uganda Premier League
    • Bundesliga
    • World Cup
  • Jobs

© 2020 Nile Post Uganda Ltd. - A Next Media Services Company.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?