President Yoweri Museveni recently inaugurated Uganda’s inaugural railway concrete sleeper factory in Kawolo, Lugazi, located in Buikwe district. During the ceremony, he commended the factory’s proprietors, Imathia Construction, under the leadership of Chairman Julian Garcia Valverde, for their contribution to Uganda’s vision of establishing an integrated, independent, and self-sustaining economy.
Museveni highlighted the significance of manufacturing railway components locally, emphasizing the importance of domestic production for items like sleepers and rails. He noted that importing such items incurs high transportation costs. The President revealed that the government is in the final stages of developing Uganda’s steel industry, which will enable the local production of rails for railway construction.
“We also need the rails themselves for the Standard Gauge Railway,” Museveni stated, explaining that while producing rails may not happen immediately, it is a future goal supported by Uganda’s developing steel industry in Kabale. This would allow Uganda to manufacture the steel required for railways, not only for domestic use but also for other parts of East Africa.
Uganda’s Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, expressed gratitude to the President for fostering a conducive environment for foreign direct investment. He highlighted that the establishment of the concrete sleeper factory followed a feasibility study conducted between 2017 and 2018, with the aim of reviving and improving the country’s railway infrastructure. The study recommended concrete sleepers as a durable alternative to steel sleepers.
Imathia Construction’s Chairman, Valverde, expressed appreciation to President Museveni, the Ministry of Works, and Uganda Railways Corporation for their support. He highlighted that the factory employs a predominantly local workforce and has the capacity to supply sleepers for ongoing railway rehabilitation projects. Concrete sleepers offer several advantages, including enhanced safety, comfort, speed, and reduced maintenance costs compared to steel sleepers.
Imathia Construction is involved in the renovation of the Kampala-Mukono rail line and assured the President that they are on schedule to complete the project. Valverde also stressed the importance of utilizing concrete sleepers in Uganda’s railway projects, emphasizing their suitability for both meter gauge and standard gauge railways.
The factory currently produces 208 concrete sleepers daily for meter gauge sleepers, contributing to the refurbishment of the Kampala-Namanve-Mukono railway line. The local sourcing of materials and production is expected to reduce the cost of doing business in Uganda.