The repair of the Tororo-Gulu meter gauge railway is moving along nicely, according to works ministry officials.
Isaac Natukunda, the ministry’s top civil engineer, claims that China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), the contractor, has done remarkably good job despite the difficulties caused by the unusually severe downpour and damaged sections of the track, particularly in Awoja marsh, which hampered the work.
Wu Yaguang, the project manager for the organization, claims that they are prepared to take on any obstacles and make sure that, by the end of the year, they have produced a project that is worth the money.
According to Yaguang, the sole double crossing supplies that were trailing have also been shipped into the nation. They anticipate finishing the Tororo-Kumi segment by March, Kumi-Aloi by August, and Aloi-Gulu by the end of the year.
He went on to say that 490 local workers and 21 Chinese expats had been deployed. Additionally, the company claims that 90% of the materials used to complete the work are purchased locally.
According to Benon Kajuna, director of transportation for the ministry, the contractor’s performance is 23% of verified completed work, 55% of physical performance, and 49% of financial performance.
The government began restoring the 373-kilometer Tororo-Gulu meter gauge railway in July 2023, spending a total of sh199 billion. The project is supposed to last 12 months.
To enhance commerce
Culvert installations, drainage system implementation, subgrading, bridge building, track material supply, railway track works, and railway auxiliary works are all included in the scope of the job, according to Kajuna.
When the railway is finished, it will lower the cost of shipping products, increase logistical efficiency, and stimulate trade in the northern area, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to Kajuna, the incoming managing director of the Uganda Railways Corporation.
He claimed that they are pleased that the same company was able to restore the meter gauge railway portions between Mukono and Malaba in a record amount of time.
In order to evaluate the work’s progress, the crew conducted an on-site track visit on January 28, 2025. In the Ngora district, they examined the track from Tororo, Magodes, Mbale, Bukedea, and Mukura.
Waiswa Bageya, the permanent secretary of the ministry, expressed gratitude to the army and police for protecting the documents. He claimed that when the railway line was finished, it would enhance trade and help preserve tarmac roads.
In order to connect Uganda to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he said they are also in contact with a South Korean company that is conducting feasibility studies to connect the Gulu logistic hub to Pakwach in the West Nile. He also said they will issue a notice for the construction of the Malaba-Kampala Standard Gauge Railway [SGR] project to begin, and he thanked the finance ministry for the prompt release of funds that has allowed the project to move forward successfully.
