Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) Board Chairperson Al Haj Abdul Latif Wangubo has lauded the steady progress on the 375-kilometer Tororo–Gulu railway line rehabilitation project, citing timely government funding and contractor efficiency as key factors keeping the project on track.
Wangubo, led the project steering committee, comprising officials from the ministries of Works, Finance, local government and the National Planning Authority, that visited Mbale to inspect ongoing works.
The inspection included a pretest railway drive to assess the quality and readiness of the line. The team brave the sun on an open roof wagon from Mbale to Mukura in Kumi district, a journey that spanned three hours.
The Shs 200 billion, project is 51.9% done, 23 months into the 30-month timeline according to Chief Civil Engineer Isaac Natukunda who represented the URC Executive Director.
The rehabilitation aims to restore a railway corridor dormant for over three decades and is expected to be completed by February 2026.
“The project is designed to connect Tororo with imports from Kenya and other parts of Uganda to Gulu. There is also a logistics hub at Gulu that will facilitate cargo from Sudan and northern Uganda,” Natukunda explained.
Wangubo commended the contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation, for delivering consistent results, noting that timely government funding has been a major factor in keeping the project on schedule.
“On behalf of the board I want to express our gratitude to the government that has injected in this money. Because this whole project is government funded, no loans on it,” Wangubo said.
Wangubo also emphasized safety concerns, urging communities to prevent children from playing near the railway tracks, after discovering stones deliberately placed on the line.
Although the Shs 200 billion has been set aside for the railway track, Wangubo stressed the need for extra funding to purchase locomotives and wagons.
He pointed out that the current stock is worn out and called for both the acquisition of new units and the refurbishment of existing ones.