Road and Railway Reserves: How Far Back to Build

How many metres is a road reserve in Uganda?

It depends on the road. The Roads Act 2019 does not set one figure: the Minister of Works and Transport may set different widths for different classes of public road, and reserves can be wider where the road class needs it (source 1). So a rural access road, a district road and a national highway do not share one number.

The Daily Monitor reported in 2019 that the general standard was 15 metres from the road's centre line on each side, that the Kampala-Mukono road reserve was 15 metres, and that the Entebbe Expressway reserve was 25 metres on each side (source 2). The same report said a Roads Amendment Bill proposed raising reserves to 40 metres. We could not confirm that any such wider figure is in force for a specific road, so treat the numbers above as reported examples, not as a table you can build against. The only safe figure for your plot is the one the road authority gives you in writing.

What is a building line, and why does it matter?

A reserve is the strip the road authority holds for the road. A building line is the distance from the edge of that strip within which you may not build. The Roads Act 2019 defines a building line and attaches a heavy penalty to ignoring it: a reported daily fine of UGX 40,000,000 for failing to observe one (source 1). Because the fine runs per day, an owner who builds first and asks later can face a very large bill on top of losing the building.

Separately, any building needs development permission. Under the Physical Planning Act 2010, a person must not carry out development in a planning area without development permission from a physical planning committee, and the committee must require the developer to restore the land to its original condition where possible (source 3, ss.33(1) and 33(4)). Section numbering differs between the 2010 text and later revised editions, so cite the Act by name when you ask an office. If you are planning a house, read What Can You Build on a 50 by 100 Plot? and Cost of Building a House in Uganda before you pick a site.

How far back is the railway reserve?

The Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) has said its reserve runs 100 feet, about 30.5 metres, on each side of the centre line, widening to 70 metres at level crossings (source 4). The 30.5 metre figure is our conversion of the 100 feet reported. URC announced enforcement from 12 October 2026, starting with several stretches including the Kampala-Kasese corridor, and said structures inside the reserve would be demolished.

The same report quotes a URC spokesperson saying that a title inside the 100 feet is an illegal title and will be cancelled, working with the Ministry of Lands (source 4). That is a stark warning for buyers: holding a certificate of title may not protect a plot that sits inside a railway reserve. Always ask a surveyor to plot the railway centre line against the plot boundary before paying, and read buying land in wetland for other categories of land that cannot lawfully be sold.

Why do plots in reserves get demolished?

Reserves are public land held for a road or railway, so a seller usually has nothing lawful to sell inside them. The Daily Monitor reported in 2019 that the road authority moved against people using road reserves as garages, stalls, bars and even homes, and that some later claimed ownership of the land and demanded compensation (source 2). Under the Physical Planning Act, a local physical planning committee serves an enforcement notice where development was carried out without permission, and from the moment the notice is served the development must stop (source 3, s.46). The owner can appeal to the next higher committee within the time stated in the notice, and the notice is stayed while the appeal is decided.

For railways, URC said occupants of illegal structures would not be paid compensation, while it would work with KCCA and local governments on resettlement options for vulnerable households (source 4). If you are in a corridor now, take advice from a lawyer quickly and keep every notice.

Can I be compensated for land in a road reserve?

Not as a rule. The Roads Act 2019 summary says land taken for road construction must follow the Constitution, and that an access road may be built through private property only after the affected landowner is compensated (source 1). That protects land that is lawfully yours and is needed for a new road. It does not turn a structure built inside an existing reserve into something that must be paid for. Where the state already holds the reserve, the 2019 Monitor report records encroachers later claiming the land and demanding compensation (source 2), and the 2026 railway statement gives no compensation to occupants of illegal structures (source 4).

If a new road is only planned, the position is different: your land may be compensated if it is taken. Use Check Planned Roads and Projects Before Buying Land to see how to find out what is planned, and Access Roads and Right of Way to a Plot for the separate question of how you reach your plot.

How do I check a reserve before I pay?

1. Ask the seller for the title and deed plan, then hire a licensed surveyor to open the boundaries and measure from the road or railway centre line to your plot.
2. Write to the road authority (UNRA for national roads, the district or KCCA for local roads) or to URC for a railway, asking for the reserve width and building line on that stretch.
3. Check that the plan the seller shows you is drawn within the plot boundary. KCCA advises surveying so that all development falls within your plot boundary (source 5).
4. Check wetland and forest-reserve buffers as well, using Land Next to Wetlands, Lakes and Forest Reserves.
5. Do not pay until the measurements are in writing. A plot that looks fine on a map can still sit partly inside a reserve.

To compare real plots, browse plot listings and book an escorted site visit so a verified person walks the frontage with you. For the full buying process, start at Land for Sale in Uganda: The Complete Buyer's Guide.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Land You Cannot Legally Buy: Wetlands and Reserves
• Land Next to Wetlands, Lakes and Forest Reserves
• Access Roads and Right of Way to a Plot
• Check Planned Roads and Projects Before Buying Land
• Land for Sale in Uganda: Verified Plots and the Complete Buyer's Guide