A report from The EastAfrican, 21st October 2024. [1]
On Monday 14th October 2024, Uganda signed a deal with Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi for the construction of the standard gauge railway (SGR) from Malaba to Kampala, after a 16-year wait.
When completed, the $2.9 billion-dollar electric rail project is expected to reduce transportation costs and increase the efficiency of the rail transport system in Uganda.
Construction of Uganda’s 273km SGR line, expected to be completed in four years, has started without a lender bankrolling the project, and authorities say it will be commissioned in the first week of November.
The EastAfrican has learnt that in this financial year, the SGR was allocated $40.8 million for compensation of project-affected persons. Canon Perez Wamburu, coordinator of Uganda’s SGR Unit, said the total budget is close to $49 million.
The Finance ministry has identified American lender Citi Bank to syndicate a loan of about $3 billion.
Uganda is under pressure from Tanzania and Kenya, which have SGR systems, to build its section to facilitate a synchronised regional rail network. Kenya is also working on extending its SGR line from Naivasha to Kisumu and on to Malaba.
“The two systems will be connected and will be seamless. We support our Kenyan friends in doing that. And the timelines agreed on with the Kenya brothers will be met,” said Gen Katumba Wamala, Uganda’s Works and Transport minister.
He explained that the two countries agreed that by the time the Malaba-Kampala SGR section reaches Kampala, the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba section will also be ready.
Uganda plans to develop 1,700km of SGR network covering Tororo to Gulu and Nimule at the South Sudan border, with a spur from Gulu to Pakwach and Vurra at the Democratic Republic of Congo border.
A western line will run from Kampala to Bihanga and Kasese-Mpondwe at the DR Congo border, with a spur southward from Bihanga to Mirama Hills at the Uganda-Rwanda border and another to Muko, Kabale.
Wikipedia tells us that the Ugandan SGR network will be part of a much wider SGR rail network in East Africa:
“The Uganda Standard Gauge Railway is a planned railway system linking the country to the neighboring countries of Kenya, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, as part of the East African Railway Master Plan. The new Standard-gauge railway (SGR), is intended to replace the old, inefficient metre-gauge railway system. The entire 1,724 kilometres (1,071 mi) SGR in Uganda will cost an estimated $12.8 billion.” [3]
“This 1435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) railway line is intended to ease the transfer of goods between the port of Mombasa and the Ugandan capital of Kampala, and subsequently to Kigali in Rwanda, and to Beni in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to Nimule and Juba in South Sudan. Goods would travel from Mombasa along the Kenya Standard Gauge Railway to Malaba, at the border with Uganda, and transfer on to this railway system.” [2]
“In March 2019, during a state visit to Kenya, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and his host, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, jointly publicly committed to extend the Kenyan Standard Gauge Railway to Uganda. Completing the critical missing link to the Kenyan SGR would then unlock the funding for Uganda’s Malaba–Kampala line. As of October 2023, the Naivasha–Malaba section of Kenya’s SGR has not been constructed.” [2] It seems that, in October 2024, a renewed commitment has been made to complete the SGR to the border with Uganda.
In Uganda the SGR network will consist of four main sections:
“Malaba–Kampala Section
Also referred to as the Eastern Line, this section will stretch from the border with Kenya at Malaba, through Tororo and Jinja, to end at Kampala. The distance of this section is approximately 219 kilometres (136 mi).[5] The entire Malaba–Kampala section, measuring 273 kilometres (170 mi) with associated train stations and railway yards, is budgeted to cost US$2.3 billion. Once funding is secured, the construction of the Eastern Line is expected to last 42 months.
Tororo–Gulu Section
Also referred to as the Northern Line, this section will extend from Tororo, through Mbale and Lira to Gulu, a distance of approximately 367 kilometres (228 mi). From Gulu, one spur will continue north to Elegu and on to Nimule and Juba in South Sudan. The section in Uganda measures approximately 106 kilometres (66 mi). Another extension stretches from Gulu southwestwards through Pakwach to end at Goli at the Border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a distance of approximately 187 kilometres (116 mi).
Kampala–Mpondwe Section
This is referred to as the Western Line. It will start in Kampala and pass through Bihanga in Ibanda District, continuing on to Mpondwe at the border with DR Congo, a distance of about 430 kilometres (267 mi).
Bihanga–Mirama Hills Section
This is also referred to as the Southwestern Line. It will stretch from Bihanga through Ibanda and Mbarara to end at Mirama Hills, at the border with Rwanda, a distance of about 191 kilometres (119 mi).” [2]
The Wikipedia article continues:
“The construction was expected to be financed by the government of Uganda, using borrowed money from the Exim Bank of China. However, the lender has been unwilling to approve the loan until Kenya finalizes the funding arrangement for the Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba section of its SGR.
In January 2023, the Ugandan government terminated the contract that it had signed with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) to build the Kampala–Malaba section of the Ugandan SGR, on account of ‘failure to execute’ for eight consecutive years.
In May 2023, the government identified Yapı Merkezi Group from Turkey as the new engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor. Funding is expected to be sourced from European banks. Works are expected to commence in 2024 starting with the 273 kilometres (170 mi) Kampala–Malaba section. The funding bank was later identified as Standard Chartered Plc of the United Kingdom.
In July 2023, the Ugandan and Kenyan cabinet ministers of transportation met in Mombasa. The communique issued at the end of the two-day consultations announced that going forward, the two countries will jointly explore funding sourcing for the Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba portion of the Kenya Standard Gauge Railway. Together, the two countries are seeking at least $6 billion in new funding for their SGR projects from financiers in Europe and the Middle East.
In February 2024, both countries reaffirmed their commitments to build the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba section in Kenya and the Malaba-Kampala section in Uganda, starting in 2024. The Ugandan government has contracted the Yapı Merkezi Group from Turkey to build the 273 kilometres (170 mi) section between Malaba and Kampala at a contract price of US$2.9 billion. Work was expected to start in August 2024. As of August 2024, the Uganda government was working on finalizing the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) documentation and obtaining approvals from relevant government bureaucrats. The construction distance from Malaba to Kampala is now reported as 332 kilometres (206 mi). Construction is expected to begin in [late] 2024.
On 14th October 2024, the government of Uganda signed the EPC documents with Yapı Merkezi to build the Malaba-Kampala section of the Uganda Standard Gauge Railway at a contract price of €2.7 billion (approx. USh10.8 trillion). Construction is expected to take four years and conclude in [late] 2028.” [2]
The Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation that promotes and appreciation of culture as vital for human development that responds to our diverse identities, with support from the European Union and SOGEA SATOM and the Uganda Railways Corporation established the Uganda Railway Museum. [4]
The museum highlights the important role that railways played in Uganda’s history and nation building. It is located along the Jinja-Iganga Highway at the Railway Station in Jinja City. It offers a varied programme that includes heritage theme nights, exploring a locomotive and coach, film recollections/stories, guided tours and access to a cafeteria. Part of the museum has been designed with young people in mind to support their learning and appreciation of Uganda’s history.
Welcome to Uganda’s Railways Museum! This image was posted on the Museum’s Facebook Page on 17th September 2024. [11]
The Museum’s formal opening ceremony took place in March 2022. It is now open for public visits every Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00am – 6:00pm at 5000 Ugandan shillings for adults and 2000 shillings for children.
While there are ongoing government efforts to revamp the railway transport with the rehabilitation of the northern line and the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway. The establishment of the railway museum complements the government of Uganda’s efforts to highlight the importance of railway transport by reinvigorating its interest among Ugandans.
B. Ugandan Old Railway Line Rehabilitation on Track
In January 2024, The EastAfrican reported that Uganda’s planned overhaul of the metre gauge railway to cut transport costs on the Northern Corridor and improve trade competitiveness had entered its final stages, even as the country faced a shortage of equipment, wagons, and trains.
The EastAfrican reported in January 2024 that Spanish firm Imathia Construction had completed replacing steel sleepers with concrete sleepers on the Namanve-Kampala section of the line, which was handed over to the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) at the beginning of 2024. The contractor then embarked on the final section, Namanve-Mukono.
This would be the second section of the track to be completed after rehabilitation of the Tororo-Namanve line, including the line to Jinja Pier, which was completed a year ago.
While the Malaba-Namanve metre gauge track is now in fair condition, importers, exporters, and shippers remain sceptical about switching to rail, citing a shortage of rolling stock and inefficiency, which has resulted in 90 percent of traffic on the Northern Corridor being carried by road and only about seven percent is carried by rail because of the poor state of rail infrastructure. [5]
Uganda’s General Motors GL30 Locomotives
C. Restoring Uganda’s Railways: The Long Road Ahead.
Rothschild Jobi; Restoring Uganda’s Railways: The Long Road Ahead; in Infrastructure, Travel and Tourism, Uganda, 9th August 2024. [10]
“The Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) is now focusing on restoring railway infrastructure in up-country areas, a step taken months after the successful resumption of limited passenger services on the Kampala-Mukono route. This move comes as part of an effort to address the deteriorating state of the country’s railway system.
Table: Status of Uganda’s main railway lines in August 2024.
In April, the Kampala-Mukono route was reopened, offering passengers a 40-minute journey from Namanve to Kampala in the morning, with a return trip available in the evening. This was seen as a positive development, but it also highlighted the need for broader improvements across the railway network.
URC’s Head of Communications, Mr. John Linnon Sengendo, stated in an interview on Monday that the focus is now shifting to the up-country lines. He emphasized that the aim is to complete the railway network by restoring these lines, which have suffered from neglect over the years.
One such line is the Pakwach railway, which was originally constructed in 1964. It played a crucial role in transporting goods and passengers from Nebbi District. However, by the 1980s, the line fell into disrepair. Despite plans announced in 2005 to repair the Gulu-Pakwach line, it remains overgrown with vegetation, and the infrastructure has deteriorated significantly.
Mr. Daudi Onencan, a 68-year-old farmer in Pakwach, reminisced about the line’s past significance. He noted that the railway provided a cost-effective way for farmers to transport goods to markets in distant districts.
Pakwach District Chairperson, Mr. Robert Omito Steen, highlighted ongoing efforts to revive the railway line due to its importance for transporting bulky goods. Discussions with various line ministries have been ongoing, with the hope that these efforts will lead to the line’s restoration.
In 2016, feasibility studies and bush clearance were carried out to assess the state of the railway lines. These efforts raised hopes for the line’s revival, but the overgrowth has since returned.
Mr. Sengendo mentioned that the study results will inform the government’s next steps. He noted that the Ministry of Works and Transport has sanctioned a company to undertake the study, and the restoration of the railway line is a key objective. The broader SGR (Standard Gauge Railway) project also includes the Tororo-Gulu-Pakwach line.
In Mityana District, residents in several villages are resisting eviction from the railway reserve despite numerous warnings. The railway reserve, now occupied by residential and commercial buildings and gardens, faces challenges as some residents claim they unknowingly purchased land in the reserve from individuals who have since relocated.
Mr. Ssande Kafunda, Chairperson of Bbuye Village, reported that affected residents are seeking advice on how to handle the situation, as they were misled about the land’s status.
Mityana municipal mayor, Mr. Faustine Mukambwe, supports the railway rehabilitation and believes it will boost local development. He urged residents to embrace the project and mentioned that the municipal council is exploring new land for constructing a new abattoir, as the current one is situated in the railway reserve.
In 2014, over 80,000 encroachers on railway reserves in various areas were given 28 days to vacate to allow for railway transport revitalization. Despite these orders, many encroachers remain, although some have relocated.
Progress is being made on the Tororo-Gulu line, with rehabilitation efforts underway. The previously non-existent track is now being upgraded with new tracks, improved drainage systems, and enhanced level crossings.
Regarding the Eastern route, Mr. Sengendo indicated that there are no immediate plans to work on this line but assured that the public will be informed if the need for restoration arises.
Mr. Sengendo also mentioned that the government, through URC, is committed to enhancing both land and water railway infrastructure to improve service for Ugandans. The aim is to reduce transportation costs for both exports and imports, thereby lowering prices for goods and increasing export earnings.
Passenger services are nearing completion on the Kampala-Mukono route, which is expected to be fully operational by September. Work will soon commence on the Kampala-Kyengera and Port Bell routes, funded by the African Development Bank.
For cargo transport, new locomotives and wagons are being acquired to support the expanding network. Plans include procuring multipurpose wagon ferries for routes between Kisumu and Mwanza. The goal is to have both the Metre Gauge Railway and Standard Gauge Railway networks complement each other, as part of the East African Community’s efforts to improve the railway system.
In the Teso Sub-region, Kumi Resident District Commissioner, Mr. Ahamada Washaki, stressed the importance of rehabilitating the railway line. However, much of the railway line in Teso remains vandalized, with key stations deserted. URC’s Mr. Sengendo explained that the line has been non-operational for over 30 years, contributing to its current state. Rehabilitation work by China Road and Bridge Corporation is ongoing on a 375km stretch, with completion expected in two years.” [10]
Uganda Railways Corporation locomotive. [13]
D. Uganda Railways Projects to be Implemented in the Financial Year 2024/2025.
On 21st June 2024, infrastructure.go.ug [6] reported that the Ugandan government was working on their objective of reducing the cost of doing business in Uganda by making improvements to the rail network.
They note the then imminent completion of the Kampala-Namanve project. They highlight ongoing work on the line between Tororo & Gulu, funded entirely by the Ugandan government. They talk of work on the African Development Bank project, which will address some of the unfinished portions of the Kampala-Malaba route. They mention work on the route between Port Bell and Kyengera in Kampala and plans for the acquisition of better passenger carriages and locomotives.
URC board technical committee chairperson, Andrew Muguluma commented in an interview with New Vision that, “Even though Uganda is developing its standard gauge railway at a different pace than other countries, … the country is catching up to the current infrastructure.” [6]
The article on infrastructure.go.ug’s website continues:
“The government has made significant investments in the rail industry, according to Leonard Kerezya, senior principal auditor in the Office of Auditor General, who urged URC top management to conduct engineering audits in order to address risks.n … KAccording to him, due to inadequate infrastructure driving up transportation costs along the northern corridor (the Malaba-Kampala rail line), only 7% of traffic in Uganda travels by rail. This means that over 90% of traffic in Uganda moves by road.” [6]
“The government committed to building a multimodal transportation infrastructure as part of NDP III (FY2020–2025) in order to increase the nation’s competitiveness through investments in better and more affordable transportation.” [6]
In respect of the SGR, they say:
“The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and other partner states of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) decided last month (May 2024) to pool resources to expedite the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project’s development. … The Joint Ministerial Committee on SGR met in Mombasa, Kenya, and decided to take this action. … The transportation ministers restated their determination to finish the remaining SGR portions as soon as possible, from Kenya’s Naivasha to Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” [6]
“Kenya pledged to restart building on the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba and Kisumu-Malaba SGR sections, respectively, beginning in July and September of 2024. … Subject to the availability of resources, Uganda is also anticipated to begin building on Malaba-Kamppala in September. The country is currently nearing the conclusion of discussions with Yapi Merkezi, the prospective contractor.” [6] An agreement which, in October 2024, now appears to be in place.
URC is a business entity that answers to the Ministry of Transportation and Works. It was founded to carry out railway, marine, and road services for the carriage of goods and passengers both inside and outside of Uganda, as required by the Uganda Railways Corporation Act, Cap 331. URC’s network of tracks spans 1,266 kilometers in total.
E. Uganda Railways Brochure
Uganda Railways Corporation has produced a glossy 4 page .pdf brochure. [7]
F. A Journey on Kampala’s Newly Reopened Commuter Train
By Kabona Esiara, Correspondent in Kampala, Uganda Nation Media Group [8]
“Five O’clock found me at the station ready for the 5.30pm train, which leaves Kampala city heading eastwards to Namanve, 16 kilometres away.
The Kampala train station, established in the 1920s, hosts the offices, service centre, and waiting and boarding areas, and has worked as the main office for passenger and cargo trains over the years.
Located in the central business district convenient for departing and incoming goods and passengers the station has recently become a beehive of activity after the return of the train.
Booking for tickets is done here. Mornings and evenings are busy, as dozens of passengers throng the station to get a trip worth Ush2,000 ($0.52), much cheaper than the fare of the commuter taxis for the same journey, which is Ush4,000 ($1.05) or more.
On the day I took the train, the line was long and the ticketing officers were picking out people who had smaller denominations of the Ugandan currency – 1,000; 2000 and 5,000 leaving those with big ones to wait.
As 5.30pm approached, the train hooted, sending an echoing sound into the city and signalling the start of the journey. The people in the queue rushed in to find seats.
Inside the coach, the once-tattered seats are now covered in brown leather and thin-inch sponge cushions making them more comfortable than the metal seats of the past.
The fans mounted above the dash of the coaches have been fixed, sending fresh air circulating and improving travellers’ experience. Before they were fixed, a frequent rider on the train says the heat in the coaches was unbearable.
The old, five-coach train snaked through Nakawa, Kireka, Namboole and terminated at Namanve.
For the 16km ride to Namanve, the train spent only 45 minutes, a huge difference from an average of two hours that vehicles, especially public commuter taxis, spend from the CBD to Kazinga near Namanve.
However, Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) is operating old rolling stock, and most of it is in disuse.
There are only five coaches to transport passengers in a city of four million people.
In order not to miss the train, many passengers reach the station early, some by 5.00am for the morning trip and 4.00pm to catch the train that departs at 5.30pm for the evening return journey.
With the market yearning for train services and Kampala struggling to achieve its ambitious plan to shift 20% of the freight and passenger bases to rail, Paul Power, a transport sector commentator based in Kampala, says the city needs $200 million to invest in rail passenger transport.
The money will be pumped into buying rolling stock, constructing stations and improving the safety and security of the railway system in the Kampala commuter railway networks.
‘My understanding is that at least 20% of the market share for rail transport is needed to make the planned standard gauge railway project viable and bankable. I don’t know the latest cost estimate, but I have heard anything from $3 billion to over $12 billion, with electrification’, Mr Power said.
He, however, noted that achieving a 20% market share for railway transport would be challenging, as currently rail transport on the metre gauge railway is less than one per cent of the freight transport market, and passenger services resumed on 1st May 2024, after almost a one year of absence due to track rehabilitation.
‘The rolling stock needed to transport 20 percent of the freight and passenger markets by rail is enormous’, he said.
The government has also to come up with deliberate policies to encourage private investment in the railway to achieve the significant shift from road to rail transport, some of which include subsidies, enforcement of tighter road weight restrictions, restrictions on the type of goods that can be transported on roads.
Uganda’s railway sector is described as not well organised. There is no safety regulator. Laws need to be updated, and there is no sustainable funding model for implementing a modern rail transport system.
According to Power, in Uganda, a strategic direction for the sector is missing, sector targets and objectives need to be defined, and a need to separate infrastructure management from train operations and safety regulation.
‘These challenges are mostly ‘soft.’ Institutional and private investors need clarity on the ‘operating environment’ – that is, rules – before significant investor interest can be mobilised’, he explained.
Uganda’s plan to grow rail freight and passenger traffic got a boost recently, when Italian investors, led by Ambassador Mauro Massoni, expressed interest in constructing a 64km railway line from Tororo to Majanji.
This alternative route on the Northern Corridor is meant to reduce congestion and increase efficiency in the region’s transportation network, as it links to water, railways, and roads.
The planned investment complements the SGR linking Kenya to Kampala, whose construction works are yet to begin. The details of the investment in the proposed route, funding, and implementation timelines have not been made public.
President Yoweri Museveni welcomed the proposal, highlighting the potential for the railway line to cater to traffic from northern Uganda and neighbouring countries, bypassing Kampala.
‘That traffic doesn’t have to come to Kampala. It can go straight either to Kenya or to Tanzania’, the President said, emphasising the project’s strategic importance.
The Italian investors also proposed establishing an academy to train Ugandans in cutting-edge railway construction and maintenance technology, ensuring skills transfer and job creation for the local workforce.
But, amid the challenges, signs that URC is fighting for a piece of the big commuter transport market share are clear. Lately, the train and coaches have been repainted.
Margret Nantume, one of the frequent users of the commuter train, said many people have not embraced the train because of the cost.
‘While I use the train to escape the daily traffic gridlock on the Kampala-Jinja highway, the increase in the train ticket from Ush1,000 ($0.26) to Ush2,000 ($0.52) for every stop is discouraging passengers’, she said.
‘Many people are opting for taxis and boda boda, which are flexible in pricing and charge fares per stop, while others walk to their destinations’.
Recently, URC acting managing director David Musoke Bulega revised the fares upwards to hedge his ticket sale revenues against fuel costs.
The train stops are located at far distances from the main road, which inconveniences passengers and adds to the transport costs to their destinations.
Passengers who live in Seeta and Mukono incur an additional Ush2000 ($0.52) to reach their destinations by taxi, in addition to the train ticket of the same amount, bringing the total to Ush4,000 ($1.05).
Besides, they have to walk 500 metres from the Namanve railway station to the nearest taxi stage.
The walk-to-work measure many households in Uganda have adopted to reduce pressure on their home budgets is also contributing to the reduced number of passengers travelling by train.
When the train stops at Namanve railway station, factory employees in Kampala’s Business and Industrial Park walk for either night shifts or to their homes. A 2021 study commissioned by Friedrich-Elbert-Stifting says 50 percent of workers in Uganda walk to and from work.
But John Leon Sengendo, URC publicist, says every inch of the train coach will be occupied in the coming days, when schools open for the second term.
He also expects passengers who opted for other transport modes to return and new ones recruited, especially when the Namanve-Kyetume line is completed in August [2024].
The Namanve-Mukono section will be the third track to be completed, after the rehabilitation of the Tororo-Namanve line, including the line to Jinja Pier, which was completed two years ago. The Namanve-Kampala section, which was handed over in January this year, was the second to be completed by Spanish firm Imathia Construction, after replacing steel sleepers with concrete beams.
After Uganda Transport Company, a public passenger transportation firm, folded in the 1980s, Kampala was plunged into a disorganised and unreliable transport service run by unprofessional private players.
The government, under pressure to reduce traffic gridlocks, is betting on an efficient railway system to address this challenge. A 2017 World Bank study estimated that traffic jams cost Uganda more than $800 million annually in lost productivity, wasted fuel and increased emissions.
The ultimate plan of URC is to extend passenger services to Mukono, Kyengera, and Port Bell Kampala.
‘We want to alleviate the problem and stress people face with road transport. Our roads are still highly congested, and people spend a lot of time in traffic jams for short distances. With the train service, it will be far smoother and faster. It is a worthwhile endeavour’, said Minister of Works and Transport Katumba Wamala. [8]
F. Uganda Railways Rules Out Electric Locomotives For Now
URN – 24th October 2024. [9]
“The Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) has no immediate plans to deploy electric trains, despite growing calls for a more modern railway system.
Instead, the focus remains on restoring the existing rail network and expanding services, particularly with diesel-powered trains, as part of the country’s railway revitalization strategy according to John Lennon Sengendo, URC’s senior public relations and communications officer.
URC recently completed upgrades on the Kampala-Mukono Meter Gauge Railway (MGR), primarily catering to passenger services. Plans are underway to introduce cargo services soon, while ongoing projects, including the Tororo-Gulu line, aim to enhance the rail system across key regions like Mbale, Kumi, Soroti, and Lira, culminating at the Gulu Logistics Hub.
Additionally, there is significant progress toward the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line between Kampala and Malaba, which will eventually extend to borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and South Sudan.
Unlike the planned SGR project, which will be electric, all upgrades on the MGR will continue using diesel-powered trains. According to URC, procurement is underway for diesel multiple units (DMUs), which are trains powered by onboard diesel engines and do not require a separate locomotive.
This decision has sparked debate, particularly as Uganda now generates electricity far beyond current demand. Many question why the country isn’t transitioning to electric trains, given its increased electricity capacity.
“For the improvements we are doing on the MGR network, specifically for the passenger service component, there will not be electrification, at least for now. Electrification will be purely on the SGR,” said Sengendo.
He emphasized that DMUs and electric multiple units (EMUs) are the same. The only difference is that one is electric and the other is Diesel,” he says, adding that the DMUs to be deployed will be able to move at speeds of 120 kilometres per hour, “which is relatively good.”
Furthermore, Sengendo pointed out that cost is a major factor behind the preference for DMUs. While Uganda has abundant electricity, the infrastructure needed for electrification is expensive. “A lot of work and money goes into the installation of the infrastructure, which may not make sense to do on the MGR, yet the government is constructing an SGR, which will be electric,” he explained.
Uganda plans to incorporate feedback from citizens to ensure the DMUs offer both comfort and efficiency, with the manufacturer tailoring them to the country’s specific requirements.
A potential challenge to seamless rail transport across the region lies in Kenya’s SGR, which remains diesel-powered. This could hinder smooth operations between Mombasa and Kampala. Sengendo, however, expressed optimism that by the time Uganda’s SGR is complete, the two countries will have aligned their strategies, possibly considering hybrid rolling stock that can operate on both diesel and electric tracks if Kenya doesn’t electrify its SGR.
Many countries worldwide continue to use DMUs, including the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, Japan, and several European nations like Germany, Belgium, and Russia. Recent technological advancements have produced diesel-hydraulic engines, which can alternate between diesel and hydraulic power, reducing emissions, noise, and fuel consumption.
Experts note that DMUs offer more flexibility since they can run on electrified tracks, whereas electric trains can only operate on dedicated electric railways. While electrified systems may prove more cost-effective in the long run – typically after about 30 years, depending on electricity costs – DMUs remain a practical and affordable solution for Uganda’s immediate rail needs.” [9]
It is only days now before I am back in Uganda again. It will be three short weeks and Jo, my wife, will not be with me as she has to continue to work in the UK. I have just been thinking back to my first visit to Uganda in 1994. …….
Proverbs 8: 1-3 (ESV)
Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance to the portals she cries aloud.
When I first went to Uganda in 1994, I travelled by train from Mombasa. A beautiful journey travelled at a snail’s pace in some ancient but well kept carriages and with silver service for meals and attendants who made up beds for passengers. The journey took for ever and included an unscheduled stop in Jinga because of a freight train derailment closer to Kampala. Our train waited 6 hours in Jinga!
On the last leg of the journey to Kampala, I was reading from Proverbs 8 – the passage above. It was as we came into the suburbs of Kampala that I looked up from reading to notice on the skyline a number of different religious buildings. I remember seeing two cathedrals, a Bahai temple and a mosque (I think). Here were various claims to wisdom calling out from the heights, ‘Listen to me!’
Kampala is a city of many hills and it seemed to me, on that first day that I saw it, to have a religious building on the top of each one.
I travelled down in a car from Kampala to Kisoro, a long journey, really long. Half way through the last leg of the journey, travelling over dirt roads, I caught a glimpse of Mt. Muhabura. It was the dry season and the dust in the air meant that I did not see it again until leaving Kisoro when I travelled back over the same road to Kabale.
Mount Muhabura, also known asMount Muhavura, is aninactive volcanoin theVirunga Mountainson the border betweenRwandaandUganda. At 4,127 metres (13,540 ft) Muhabura is the third highest of the eight major mountains of the mountain range, which is a part of theAlbertine Rift, the western branch of theEast African Rift. Its summit contains a smallcrater lake. The limited evidence for this volcano suggests that it last erupted some time in theHolocene, but the exact date is not known. Muhabura is partly in theVolcanoes National Park, Rwanda and partly in theMgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda. [1]
Anyone from Kisoro will tell you what the name of the mountain means and hence why the Diocese is named after it. Muhabura is ‘the guide’, the ‘one who leads me home’ – a mountain visible for miles around calling the people back to their homeland.
It strikes me again now, as it did back in 1994, that ‘Muhabura’ is an excellent name for a diocese. It is our Christian calling to be people who call others back to faith, back to where they belong. The wisdom of the Christian faith is not primarily intellectual, it is not ‘clever’, per see. Christian wisdom is primarily about relationship, about knowing God.
Someone is truly wise in God’s eyes when they are one of his people, in relationship with him, listening to his word, and full of his all-embracing inclusive love. When we gather together as Christians we aspire to be those in whom God’s wisdom dwells, to be a community faithfully drawing those around us back home, back to God. So we should be like Mt. Muhabura, a true and faithful guide, in an uncertain world.
Proverbs 8:1-3 has more for us than this. … Wisdom stands at the crossroads; …….. beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance to the portals she cries aloud.
Proverbs 8:1-3 also encourages us to count on God’s wisdom at the crossroads, at the place of decision, the place where we have to make choices. And it encourages us to seek wisdom in the gates of the city. The place of business for any community in Old Testament times was the gates of the city. It was where the village elders met, it was often the market place. God’s wisdom is not just spiritual wisdom but practical wisdom, and available to us as we go about the daily business, decusion-making and transactions of our working lives.
Roger Farnworth 
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