news 19 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
URC Launches Nationwide Eviction of Railway Land Encroachers
The Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) has initiated a nationwide operation to reclaim land illegally occupied by encroachers, starting with the Kampala-Kasese corridor. The government aims to secure land essential for railway operations and infrastructure development. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/urc-begins-eviction-of-encroachers-on-railway-land-5637284
The Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) has commenced a significant exercise to reclaim railway land that has been illegally occupied across the country. The operation began on Monday, October 19, focusing initially on the Kampala-Kasese railway corridor.
According to URC spokesperson John Ssegendo, the eviction process will proceed westward from Kyengera Town Council in Wakiso District, passing through Mityana, Mubende, and Kamwenge, before reaching Kasese. Future phases are planned to address encroachments on other key railway lines, including the Toro, Gulu, Busoga, and the Gulu-Pakwach routes, with areas like Butiaba and Masindi also slated for attention.
Ssegendo clarified that URC would provide occupants with a reasonable timeframe to remove their personal belongings and structures before demolition proceeds. “When you get into a place and someone has removed their property from their home, you are not going to just raise it. You give them time to remove their property and then you do what you are supposed to do,” he stated.
However, he firmly ruled out any form of compensation for those being evicted. Ssegendo emphasized that the land in question is public property designated for railway infrastructure and operations. He argued that compensating individuals who have illegally occupied government land would be inequitable and could potentially incentivize further encroachment.
This nationwide eviction drive follows a directive from the government to clear all illegal structures and restore railway land for its intended public use. URC has not set a definitive completion date, as the duration of the exercise will be contingent on the progress made along each corridor and the extent of the encroachments encountered.
Residents currently occupying railway land are urged to voluntarily vacate and remove their possessions as the eviction teams advance.