Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) has commenced a nationwide operation to evict people occupying its railway reserve land, starting with the Kampala–Kasese railway corridor in Kyengera Town Council, Wakiso District.

In a public notice issued on Monday, October 19, URC said the eviction exercise began at Masanda Village, Kyengera, as the corporation moves to recover railway land for the restoration, rehabilitation and expansion of Uganda’s railway network.

The corporation has directed all persons occupying its railway land to vacate a 60-metre-wide reserve corridor, comprising 30 metres on either side of the railway line. Occupants on railway station land have also been instructed to vacate the entire boundaries of the respective station properties.

URC said the operation would extend beyond the Kampala–Kasese route to other railway corridors across the country, including Tororo–Gulu, Gulu–Pakwach, the Busoga Loop, Butiaba and Masindi, as well as other land belonging to the corporation.

The exercise is intended to reclaim railway reserves to create space for railway rehabilitation and future expansion, with URC saying the move is necessary to restore safe and reliable railway transport.

The eviction campaign follows a government directive issued in late September 2026 requiring the corporation to recover railway reserve land and remove unauthorised structures that could obstruct planned railway rehabilitation projects.

According to a report published by Parliament on October 14, Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama told legislators that approximately 28,486 encroachment cases had been identified along railway corridors, station land and other URC properties. The minister said the occupation of railway reserves had affected the implementation of metre-gauge railway rehabilitation programmes.

The 60-metre reserve requirement has also featured in parliamentary discussions, with legislators raising questions about railway boundary measurements and land ownership, particularly along the Busoga railway line. Parliament referred related concerns to its Committee on Physical Infrastructure for investigation.

The nationwide operation is expected to cover several sections of Uganda’s railway network, including routes connecting Kampala to western Uganda, the eastern corridor towards Malaba, and northern railway routes serving Gulu and Pakwach.

URC has maintained that recovering railway land is necessary to provide sufficient space for railway infrastructure, improve safety and facilitate planned development. The corporation has also said the exercise will be conducted with fairness and respect for affected communities.

People living or operating businesses on land they believe may fall within the railway reserve are advised to seek clarification from URC about the applicable boundaries and the status of their properties.

As the eviction exercise continues, the implementation of railway reserve boundaries and the handling of affected properties are likely to remain important issues for communities along the railway corridors.