An Open Letter to H.E. the President and the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of Uganda
The debate over relocating Uganda’s capital city from Kampala to Nakasongola has resurfaced, driven by legitimate concerns about congestion, the high cost of living, overstretched infrastructure and the need for a more planned administrative centre.
While the intention to decongest Kampala is sound, relocating the capital risks reproducing the same problems in a new location at enormous cost.
There is, however, a more transformative alternative: invest in a modern, nationwide railway network centred on Kampala but connecting every region of Uganda.
1. The problem is not Kampala. The problem is connectivity
People do not come to Kampala because they enjoy traffic jams. They come because the city remains the country’s main centre for jobs, universities, specialised healthcare, markets, businesses and government services.
When a farmer in Koboko, a trader in Kisoro or a graduate in Kotido must travel to Kampala to access opportunities and services, the city will inevitably become overcrowded.
Relocating government offices to Nakasongola would not solve this fundamental problem. It would simply move the pressure to another location.
2. The solution: A Kampala-centred national railway network
Uganda needs a railway system that makes every major city feel as accessible as a Kampala suburb.
A modern national railway network could use Kampala Union Station as its central hub, with interconnected routes linking the major regions and cities.
With reliable passenger and freight trains operating daily, journeys that currently take many hours by road could be significantly shortened.
The objective should be to create a hub-and-spoke railway network that decentralises opportunity, investment and economic activity across the country.
3. Why railways can develop Uganda faster than relocating the capital
a) Decongestion through distribution
When a manufacturer in Mbarara can efficiently transport goods to Kampala and onward to Malaba, there is less incentive to concentrate factories and businesses in Kampala.
Industries, jobs and investment would naturally spread along the railway corridors.
b) Lower cost of living
Efficient rail freight can reduce transportation costs and make it easier to move food and other essential commodities across the country.
Produce from Kabale, milk from Mbarara and cement from Tororo could reach Kampala more efficiently, while manufactured goods from Kampala could reach markets upcountry at lower cost.
Improved passenger rail would also make it possible for some people to live outside Kampala while travelling to the capital for work when necessary.
c) Balanced regional development
Railway stations can become centres of economic activity.
Hotels, schools, hospitals, warehouses, markets and other businesses would develop around major stations in places such as Hoima, Lira, Kabale, Mbarara and other regional centres.
This would encourage more balanced development instead of concentrating economic activity in Kampala.
d) Better value for money
Building a new capital requires enormous investment in roads, water systems, electricity, housing, government buildings and other infrastructure.
A comparable investment in a national railway network would create infrastructure that serves millions of Ugandans across generations, rather than primarily serving government officials and institutions relocated to Nakasongola.
4. Lessons from other countries
Countries that have attempted to decongest major cities by relocating their capitals, including Nigeria with Abuja and Tanzania with Dodoma, have invested heavily over many years, yet Lagos and Dar es Salaam respectively remain major economic centres.
By contrast, countries that have invested heavily in railway infrastructure have used transport connectivity to strengthen links between cities, markets and production centres.
Uganda should therefore learn from both experiences and prioritise connectivity as a tool for economic transformation.
5. Linking Uganda’s railway to the East African Community
A national railway network centred on Kampala would not only help decongest the capital. It could also become an important part of East African integration.
By connecting Uganda’s railway system to the wider East African railway network, Uganda could strengthen links with Nairobi, Kigali, Bujumbura, Goma, Mombasa and other regional economic centres.
This would create opportunities for faster movement of goods, people and skills across borders.
Farmers in northern Uganda could access regional markets more efficiently, while manufacturers could move goods to the coast and other neighbouring countries at lower cost.
East African integration cannot exist on paper alone. It requires physical infrastructure that connects our people and economies.
Steel rails, not speeches alone, will help unite East Africa.
Kampala can therefore become not merely Uganda’s capital, but a major railway hub connecting the country to the wider East African region.
Uganda does not need a new capital. Uganda needs new connections
The dream of a less congested and more liveable Kampala is achievable.
But we should not seek to achieve it by abandoning Kampala or simply moving government offices elsewhere. Instead, we should make the rest of Uganda more accessible to opportunity.
Let us build railway lines that connect the country rather than simply shifting offices.
Every Ugandan should feel that opportunity is within reach — that a quality job, a good hospital, a university, a market or a business opportunity is only a train ride away.
That is how Uganda can develop rapidly, evenly and sustainably without leaving any region behind.
As a specialist in population dynamics and a leader committed to the prosperity of Ugandans — from the hills of my home in Rukiga to the plains of Karamoja — I submit that relocating the capital would be an expensive distraction.
The future of Uganda is not in moving the capital. The future of Uganda is in connecting the nation.
Let us invest in railways, connect our regions and position Uganda at the centre of East Africa’s economic transformation.
The Writer, Dr. Rumanzi Benita Busharira is the Director, Africa Population Institute and former Parliamentary Candidate for Rukiga County Constituency (2026–2031)
