At a meeting with their area Member of Parliament, Apollo Yeri Ofwono, the residents voiced their grievances, highlighting the poor living conditions in the aging railway houses.
Residents of the Uganda Railway Quarters in Tororo Municipality are protesting against the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) over what they describe as exorbitant rent charges for deteriorating housing units.
At a meeting with their area Member of Parliament, Apollo Yeri Ofwono, the residents voiced their grievances, highlighting the poor living conditions in the aging railway houses.
They reported that the structures lack basic amenities such as latrines and access to clean water, yet tenants are still required to pay monthly rents ranging from Shs80,000 to Shs100,000.
The situation has left many residents in financial distress, with some accumulating arrears totaling over UGX 6 million.
Addressing the gathering, MP Ofwono expressed outrage at the URC's continued collection of rent despite the appalling state of the houses.
He directly questioned a URC official present at the meeting, demanding an explanation for charging rent for condemned structures.
In a tense exchange, the official, who declined to disclose his name, attributed the rent collection to directives from URC management in Kampala.
This response only fueled the legislator's anger, with MP Ofwono threatening legal action against the Corporation if the practice continued.
"We cannot allow our people to be exploited while they live in such inhumane conditions. This is unacceptable, and we will take legal measures if URC does not stop collecting rent immediately," MP Ofwono declared.
Political leaders present at the meeting joined in condemning the URC, agreeing to halt all rent payments until the housing situation is addressed.
Residents are now demanding that the Corporation either refurbish the houses to acceptable living standards or cease rent collection entirely.
As the situation unfolds, the community hopes their plight will receive urgent attention from the relevant authorities.
Efforts to reach URC management in Kampala for further comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
