Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours

Overview

• Industryrail transport, transportation and storage¹
• HeadquartersNairobi¹

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Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours (KURH) was a colonial entity (1926–1948) managing harbours, railways, ports like (Mombasa port and port bell), lake and river ferries in Kenya Colony and the Uganda Protectorate from 26 February 1926 until 1 May 1948. Mombasa was the primary deep-water seaport on the Indian Ocean where the original Uganda Railway construction began in 1896. The railway linked the interior to the open sea at Mombasa's Kilindini Harbour. It included the Uganda Railway, which it extended from Nakuru to Kampala in 1931. In the same year it built a branch line to Mount Kenya. It was originally constructed to secure British interests in the Nile valley and create access to Uganda, a landlocked country rich in resources and minerals.The railway network was integrated with inland shipping services on Lake Victoria, Lake Kyoga, and Lake Albert, utilizing several inland ports and piers. Disassembled ferries were transported by rail to the lakeside for reassemble. Uganda had some ports that served as key points in the building of the railway network such as Kisumu Port which is formerly known as Port Florence, the main railway line reached the port in 1901. From here the ferry services connected to other ports around the lake. Others ports are Port Bell, Jinja Pier, Butaiba Port and Namasagali Port. It was often called the "Lunatic Express". This was because of its immerse costs and the challenging terrain, involved bringing over 30,000 coolies from British India, man eaters(lions) at Tsavo in Tanzania.²

Acquisitions

1. Succeeded by East African Railways and Harbours Corporation¹

Timeline

1. May 1, 1948Dissolved Dissolved¹
2. Feb 26, 1926Founded Founded¹

Links

• WikipediaKenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours
• More imagesWikimedia Commons
• WikidataQ6392758