CORRUPTION! Uganda Railways Rocked by Fresh Sh300m Repairs Scandal, Top Engineers Cited

A shocking scandal has erupted at Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) involving alleged corruption and theft by some engineers in the Mechanical Department. The scandal centers around the faking of various repairs especially on traction motors including the newly acquired 98 class locomotives, with the engineers claiming payments from URC for work not done.

Insiders reveal that the scam involves inflating repair costs and claiming payments for work not done. The engineers allegedly use fake claims to justify external manpower and payment, with some estimates suggesting that URC has lost over 300 million shillings to the scam.

“Some Engineers in Nalukolongo Railways Workshop, have become so crafty that they are busy doing business with themselves. This was the case during the tenure of Mr. Robert Ssekitoleko who was the Chief Mechanical Engineer and recently resigned to go stand for a parliamentary position. They fake repairs and get money from the corporation for different repairs that are ordinarily done in the Workshop. The most targeted components are traction motors for the newly acquired 98 class locomotives. These motors are either repaired to completion in the Workshop or taken to a corridor somewhere to justify external manpower and payment. This is mostly done as they monitor the progress of their fake claims so that they can get the leverage to put pressure on the corporation for quick payments,” and insider whispered to this publication.

According to sources, the recent scandal on involves the engineers, under the Mechanical Department headed by Godfrey Busuulwa – the acting chief Mechanical Engineer, Nicholas Kakooza – the acting Principal Mechanical Engineer, and Nathan Wava – a Mechanical Engineer, who recently hatched a plan to load five traction motors, which had already been repaired by workshop technicians, onto two vehicles. They wanted to them to an external workshop and claim payments again. However, their scheme was foiled when the vehicles were intercepted by the Railway Police at the Nalukolongo Workshop gate on July 18, 2025.

“These brain workers hatched a plan. They hired two vehicles and loaded 5 traction motors which were already repaired by Workshop technicians. Unfortunately for them, the vehicles were intercepted by the Railway Police at the gate,” says an insider knowledgeable about the insider dealings.

The vehicles were later released on July 23, 2025, after the owners pleaded ignorance of the deal. However, the incident has sparked a thorough investigation into the matter, with URC management determined to root out corruption and bring those responsible to justice.

“The company now does business with themselves in all departments. In Civil Engineering Department, the Engineers fake repairs on Railway lines and in Mechanical Engineering, the forgery is on the repair of motor vehicles and this repair of traction motors,” alleges the source.

As the investigation unfolds, some engineers are trying to shift the blame to former Chief Mechanical Engineer Robert Ssekitoleko, who recently resigned to pursue a parliamentary seat. However, insiders argue that Ssekitoleko’s resignation means he can no longer control processes at URC, and that current bosses may be the one behind the scheme.

“These leakages were not possible under Mr. Ssekitoleko as he was so wise in coordinating those deals. It appears he has left behind nearly graduating trainees in the company on conning technology. There’s growing tension as URC continues to find out the origin of the rot. Many of the affected engineers are trying to sacrifice Ssekitoleko since he has already left the company. Many other insiders believe a man who resigned can’t control processes here. They think current Engineers ar the one who is behind, probably after having briefed his boss Busuulwa. The workers under Mechanical are saying these people are only chasing papers and not giving real engineering solutions at the workshop floor,” it has been further alleged.

It also remains unclear how Kakooza bounced back at Uganda Railways.

Last year, Kakooza, then a mechanical engineer, Peter Chrys Katwebaze assistant chief mechanical engineer and ex-boss Stanley Sendegeya– were charged and remanded by the Anti-corruption court for causing financial loss to the government.

The court heard that in August 2021 at URC offices at plot 57 Nasser Road in Kampala, the accused persons caused the irregular payment of an extra sum of $38,200 (about Shs 146 million) to Kenya Railway Corporation for security and transportation of four used locomotives that had been provided from Chwangame Mombasa to URC’s workshop in Nalukolongo Kampala; yet the payments had already been made to the provider GPR Leasing Africa under the contract for the supply delivery, training and commissioning of four the four used locomotives.

The scandal has also raised concerns about the emphasis on academic qualifications over practical experience in the hiring process at URC. Some workers argue that the company’s focus on degrees and certifications is leading to a lack of practical expertise, which can have serious consequences for the railway system.

“The workers under Mechanical are saying these people are only chasing papers and not giving real engineering solutions at the workshop floor.”

As the scandal deepens, there are growing calls for presidential intervention to address the systemic issues plaguing URC. With the company’s leadership accused of being complicit in the corruption, some believe that only a shake-up at the top can restore integrity and efficiency to the organization.

“Railways is on a downward trend that no worldly powers can save. It is rotten to the core as the people designated to save it are the ones busy pulling it down. The tricks in the company have reached an equilibrium that management may not easily remove these con artists and their tricks. What can only save Railways is a Presidential intervention that can dissolve the current leadership and bring another one. However, the biggest undoing in this is the school of thoughts that you can bring anybody who recently graduated with a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Harvard University in spite of not having seen a Railway line before. As we stand now, only God the Almighty can save Railways.”