KAMPALA, Uganda — The Managing Director of Uganda Railways Corporation (URC), Benon Kajuna, has been directed to record a statement with police over the disappearance of 394 railway wagons valued at more than Shs 220.8 billion, as Parliament intensifies investigations into the management of the corporation’s assets.
The directive was issued by Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure on July 23, 2026, after lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with explanations provided by URC officials regarding the missing rolling stock.
The committee, chaired by Mbarara City South MP Mwine Mpaka, demanded that URC provide evidence within one hour showing efforts by Uganda Railways and Kenya Railways Corporation to trace the missing wagons. However, MPs said the documents presented did not contain confirmation from Kenya Railways on the current location of the assets.
“The assumption is they are in Kenya, but there is also an assumption that some are sold in Uganda,” Mpaka said.
He directed Kajuna to record a statement and warned that failure to provide satisfactory evidence would lead to further action by Parliament.
Auditor General Raised Concerns
The matter originates from the Auditor General’s December 2025 report, which highlighted weaknesses in URC’s asset management and verification systems.
The report indicated that by November 2024, URC could not physically account for 131 of its own wagons. Although 18 wagons were later traced, 113 remained unaccounted for.
The report further indicated that 281 wagons belonging to Kenya Railways Corporation, which had been under URC’s custody, could also not be accounted for, bringing the total number of missing wagons to 394.
MPs Raise Regional Concerns
Lawmakers warned that the disappearance of Kenyan railway assets could have diplomatic implications between the two countries.
Budiope County MP Eng. Ssebbugga Kimeze questioned how property belonging to a neighbouring country could disappear while under Uganda’s custody.
“As if that is not enough, we actually lost 281 wagons for the Kenyan railways. Property belonging to a neighbouring country goes missing here. This is going to cause us a diplomatic problem one of these days,” he said.
Kole North MP Samuel Opio questioned how railway wagons could disappear without clear identification records.
“Wagons cannot just be stated to have disappeared. They are supposed to have wagon numbers, identification numbers, traceability of their locations,” he said.
Batoro County MP Emmanuel Ilukol said each wagon was estimated to cost about US$150,000, warning that taxpayers could ultimately bear the financial burden if the assets are not recovered.
He called for additional investigations involving anti-corruption agencies.
URC Explains Tracking Process
Kajuna told MPs that tracing the wagons was a complex process involving verification between URC and Kenya Railways, with the matter dating back to the period when the railway network was managed under the former Rift Valley Railways (RVR) concession.
He said the two railway corporations had formed joint committees and held engagements aimed at establishing the location and status of the wagons. URC also said a joint wagon census had been conducted as part of efforts to reconcile records.
However, MPs said the explanations provided were insufficient and demanded clearer evidence showing where the wagons are currently located.
Statement Recorded
Following the parliamentary directive, Kajuna later recorded a statement with Parliament Police after failing to provide evidence that conclusively accounted for the missing wagons.
The investigation has renewed concerns over asset management, security of railway facilities and cross-border tracking systems for railway equipment.
Railway wagons remain a key component of Uganda’s freight transport system, supporting movement of cargo along the Northern Corridor linking Uganda to the Port of Mombasa through Kenya.
