Godfrey Kirumira's company accused of taking over railway land

• A Kirumira-linked company holds a 99-year lease over disputed railway land in Kampala.

• The 1.3-acre property lies in front of the Uganda Railways headquarters.

• URC says a caveat stopped the lease extension, but MPs dispute that account.

• Parliament plans to summon Kirumira as URC battles more than 24,600 encroachment cases.

A company linked to businessman Godfrey Kirumira has taken control of land belonging to the Uganda Railways Corporation, Parliament has heard.

The 1.3-acre property sits in front of the Uganda Railways headquarters in Kampala, opposite Victoria University.

The issue emerged on July 30, 2026, as Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure questioned URC officials over missing wagons, disputed land, procurement and staff training.

Committee chairperson Mwine Mpaka led the meeting. URC Managing Director Benon Kajuna headed the corporation’s delegation.

Kajuna said the former Kampala District Land Board leased the property to Kampala City Council for 99 years in 2000.

He said KCC later granted Philadelphia Trade and Industry Limited a five-year lease on June 1, 2006.

The company then sought to extend the lease to 99 years. Kajuna said the process did not end because URC placed a caveat on the property in 2012.

“There was an intention to extend the interest to 99 years but this did not happen. On 27 April 2012, a caveat was lodged over the property before completion of the proposed extension,” Kajuna said.

Mpaka disputed the explanation. He said the committee had searched the land records and found that Philadelphia Trade and Industry Limited holds a 99-year lease.

“We did a search as a committee yesterday and he (Kirumira) actually has 99 years on this land and he is MS Philadelphia,” Mpaka said.

Mpaka said a separate search at the Uganda Registration Services Bureau showed that members of the Kirumira family own Philadelphia Trade and Industry Limited.

The committee plans to summon Kirumira to explain how the company acquired the land.

Kajuna also said URC had asked the Ministry of Finance several times to return land titles retained during the railway privatisation process.

He said the ministry had not responded.

Kajuna warned that URC could apply for special certificates of title using the documents in its possession.

He said the corporation would reopen boundaries, migrate titles, conduct fresh surveys and challenge illegal titles to protect railway land.

URC has identified more than 24,600 cases of encroachment along railway corridors.