By Jamilu Ssekagya
The Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) has resumed transporting coffee exports by rail, marking its first such shipment since 2018.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Uganda exported 8.6 million bags of coffee between June 2025 and May 2026. While none of that cargo was transported by rail during the period, URC has now moved its first coffee export consignment to the Port of Mombasa.
The shipment comprised 29 containers 28 twenty-foot containers and one forty-foot container with a combined weight of 606.6 tonnes.
URC says transporting the consignment by rail cost the exporter USD 21,570, compared to an estimated USD 84,500 by road, resulting in freight savings of about USD 62,930.
The corporation said moving the cargo on a single train also eliminated the need for about 17 heavy-duty trucks, reducing road congestion, lowering emissions and easing pressure on the road network.
URC says the return to coffee haulage strengthens its freight business while offering exporters a more cost-effective transport option to regional ports.
