The Uganda Railways Corporation has announced the refurbishment of more than 100 fuel tank wagons as part of efforts to strengthen bulk fuel transportation between Kenya and Uganda through the Lake Victoria transport corridor.
In a statement shared online, Uganda Railways said the tank containers had undergone full rehabilitation at the Nalukolongo railway workshop in Kampala and would soon be deployed for operations.
“Straight out of the Nalukolongo workshop, the Tank Tainers have undergone full refurbishment,” the corporation said. “Over 100 tanks are scheduled for work.”
According to the corporation, the rehabilitated tankers will primarily be used to transport fuel from Kisumu in Kenya to Port Bell via Lake Victoria.
Uganda Railways further revealed that each tanker has a carrying capacity of 50,000 litres.
“Each of these has a capacity of 50,000 litres,” the corporation said in an update issued on Friday.
Officials explained that the current water vessels operating on the route can carry up to 22 fuel tankers per trip, translating into approximately 1.1 million litres of fuel transported in a single voyage.
“With the two vessels, that’s a total of 2.2 million litres,” the corporation noted, adding that the journey from Kisumu to Port Bell takes about 18 hours.
The development is expected to boost regional fuel logistics, reduce pressure on road transport, and improve the efficiency of cargo movement between Uganda and Kenya.
The rehabilitation project also highlights renewed investment in Uganda’s railway and marine transport infrastructure as government agencies push to revive rail freight operations and reduce transport costs for bulk commodities.
Transport experts have previously argued that increased use of rail and water transport could ease congestion on major highways and lower the rate of road damage caused by heavy fuel trucks operating along the Northern Corridor.