4 what were the problems faced during the construction of the Uganda railway?

4 what were the problems faced during the construction of the Uganda railway?

Physical obstacles like the coast,riverbeds and steep escapements of the rift valley caused engineering problems especially in Kenya

Wild animals like lions in the tsavo region of Kenya stalled the project as people failed to work until when the lions were shot by colonel Peterson

Hostile African tribes also made construction work very difficult e.g the nandi stole construction materials and destroyed telegraphic wires and rails before disappearing into the hills.

The harsh climate like the heavy rains that washed away marked lines and made some places water logged making construction work difficult.

There was also the lack of water especially around the taru desert, which delayed construction work for some time.

Labour shortage, most Africans were not interested and not willing to work.they spent long hours at home and when they came for work many would disappear before the day closed.

This made the construtors to resort to the Indian coolies but these were not only weak but also inexperienced in railway construction hence delaying the work.

Tropical diseases like malaria and small pox claimed many lives of the Indian coolies and also jiggers

Lack of enough food also made work difficult as they had to depend on supplies from Europe ie rice.

The contractors also faced hostility from the Germans who frequently attacked them in order to make the work difficult for their rivals the British

Inadequate funds the cost of constructing the line was too high compared to what was available hence slowing down the process

There was a problem of  inadequate port facilities at !Mombasa for off loading heavy railway machines.

Communication also presented a problem it was quote difficult to transport heavy construction !materials because there we're no vehicles and developed roads

It was equally not easy for the constructors to communicate with those in London where orders where met to come from.this coupled with financial and bureaucratic delays made the work slow

There were also acts of indiscipline disorder and wastefulness on the part of the Indian coolies due to lack of supervision from the British

Lack of cooperation between the railway authorities and civil leaders also posed a problem the local leader accused the railway authorities of arrogance and not consulting them

Language problems since Africans,Indians and the British were involved in this work hence communicating was difficult.