Uganda road delays leave landowners and operators facing costs

Delayed road projects in Uganda have left landowners waiting years for compensation while public transport operators and traders absorb rising costs, watchdoguganda.com reported.

Who is waiting for compensation along the Kyaliwajjala–Kira–Kasangati–Matugga Road?

Catherine Nabweteme, 62, lives along the 23-kilometre road corridor in Kirwanira Cell, Gombe Division, Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni launched the construction project in December 2020 at Kyaliwajjala Trading Centre, with funding from the government and the contract awarded to the Chinese contractor Chongqing International Construction Corporation (CICO) for Shs200 billion.

Nearly six years later, Nabweteme says she has not received compensation for her affected quarter-acre piece of land. Officials from the then Uganda National Roads Authority assessed her property around the COVID-19 period and told residents not to carry out any development projects on the land after the valuation.

Samuel Kazibwe faces a similar situation after the death of his father, John Bosco Sseruyange, in 2024. Sseruyange passed away months after his property was valued and after submitting his bank account details for payment.

We do not know whether we will even get that money. Our father died before we could be paid or compensated, and he was a single signatory to his bank account. Even the land value has changed far from the value it was in 2020.

Samuel Kazibwe

Nabweteme and Kazibwe are among residents along the four-kilometre Kiti–Matugga stretch awaiting payment.

How does the Mpererwe–Kiteezi road construction affect daily transport and health?

The Mpererwe–Kiteezi–Kiti Road connects to the Kyaliwajjala–Kira–Kasangati–Matugga Road at Kiti Junction. Kampala Capital City Authority and Wakiso District officials launched construction on the 9.1-kilometre road in May 2026 under the Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project, awarding the Shs50 billion contract to China Communications Construction Company.

Ivan Kiseka, a taxi operator at Mpererwe Taxi Park, states that poor road conditions force frequent garage repairs, which increases operating costs and reduces active working time. Christopher Mutibwa, a boda boda rider at Mpererwe Kayembe Stage, adds that drivers navigate heavy dust and persistent disruptions through the construction zone.

Timothy Ssemakula, a 50-year-old resident of Namere Cell, reports that dust from the site triggers flu-like and allergic symptoms.

What does the transport minister allege about corruption and delays?

Minister of State for Works and Transport Fred Byamukama inspected delayed projects between June and August 2026 and attributed stalled construction to collusion and corruption within the road management system.

Delays are not technical, they are deliberate corruption.

Fred Byamukama

Byamukama pointed to projects including the Mityana–Mubende Road, Masaka–Kyotera–Mutukula Road, Busega–Mpigi Expressway, and Kyaliwajjala–Kira–Kasangati–Matugga Road. He stated that intentional delays in approving designs, processing payment certificates, and handling contract variations drive up project costs and create additional government liabilities.

The minister alleged that certain officials maintain personal financial interests in properties located inside road reserves, allowing them to influence and inflate compensation payouts. He noted that compensation for the Kisubi–Nakawuka–Nateete road project reached over Shs400 billion, roughly triple the actual construction cost, and alleged that ministry officials built expensive structures along the Kyaliwajjala corridor to secure payouts.

These allegations require independent investigation and were not independently verified for this report. Byamukama also cited contractor inefficiencies, questionable additional claims, and the premature signing of contracts before land acquisition and utility relocations are finished.

Where else are commuters and small business owners feeling the impact?

In Kampala, prolonged roadworks force motorists onto longer alternative routes, increasing fuel consumption and cutting daily trip counts for transport workers. Emmanuel Muhabuzi, a boda boda rider on the Wandegeya–Mulago–Kamwokya route, says passengers face dust in dry weather and deep mud when it rains.

When is the deadline for the ongoing road works?

The current completion deadline for the Kyaliwajjala–Kira–Kasangati–Matugga Road project is set for July 2027.