President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the dismissal of six engineers from Uganda’s Ministry of Works and Transport over their handling of major road infrastructure projects, Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama has told Parliament.
Byamukama disclosed the presidential directive on Monday, 20 July 2026, while appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure in Kampala.
He said the engineers were linked to projects that have experienced prolonged delays, rising costs and concerns over contract management. Their identities had not been publicly disclosed by the time of publication.
The minister told legislators that several other technical officers were also being investigated over alleged irregularities affecting road projects, including the delayed Busega–Mpigi Expressway.
Engineers recording statements at IGG
According to Byamukama, a number of serving engineers have been recording statements with the Inspectorate of Government, while former government officials suspected of involvement in the irregularities are also being investigated.
He linked the wider accountability process to the earlier interdiction of the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Bageya Waiswa, saying officials implicated in the management of the affected projects would be examined.
Recording a statement or being placed under investigation does not, on its own, establish criminal responsibility. The investigations will determine whether any of the officers committed wrongdoing and whether further administrative or legal action is required.
Byamukama blamed corruption and weaknesses in contract administration for frustrating both government and contractors responsible for delivering infrastructure projects.
“The issue of corruption has really contributed much to the failure of these projects and has hindered even good contractors from delivering their work.”
He said some projects had been affected by delays in approving engineering designs, processing contractors’ payment certificates and handling contract variations. Such delays can lead to additional claims, disrupted construction schedules and higher costs for government.
Busega–Mpigi Expressway faces further delays
Members of the committee focused much of their scrutiny on the 23.7-kilometre Busega–Mpigi Expressway, which is intended to reduce congestion along the Kampala–Masaka corridor and improve movement between Kampala and western Uganda.
The African Development Bank-funded project is being implemented by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. Construction commenced in November 2019, but the project has experienced land acquisition challenges, funding constraints, design changes and delayed payments to the contractor.
Documents presented to the committee showed that the project had reached approximately 47.15 per cent physical progress and 49.44 per cent financial progress by June 2026.
Its completion date has now been extended to December 2028, although Byamukama warned that the revised deadline could still be missed if the existing challenges are not resolved.
The minister said the government had invested about Shs547.5 billion in the project. He added that approximately Shs82.1 billion was still owed to the contractor, affecting the pace of construction and mobilisation of equipment and workers.
Ministry officials said the project had previously stalled after the original financing was exhausted and the contractor accumulated unpaid certificates. Parliament has since approved additional financing to support the continuation of the works.
Committee questions changes to road design
Committee chairperson Mwine Mpaka Rwamirama and other legislators demanded explanations about reported changes to the original road alignment and the officials who authorised them.
The MPs expressed concern that sections reportedly moved from dry land into wetland could have created additional construction expenses, compensation disputes and design complications.
The committee also requested historical records identifying the consultants involved in the design process, the payments they received and the officers who approved significant changes to the project.
Commissioner for National Roads Isaac Wani said the ministry had introduced procedures requiring officers involved in approving future design changes to formally sign for their respective decisions. The measure is intended to establish clear responsibility and improve accountability.
New conditions for road contracts
Byamukama said the ministry would no longer sign road construction contracts before a substantial portion of the required land had been acquired.
Under the ministry’s proposed approach, at least 50 per cent of the required right of way must be secured before a contract is signed. The minister said President Museveni had advised that the threshold should be increased to 75 per cent.
The reform is intended to prevent projects from beginning before affected property owners have been compensated and construction sites made available to contractors.
The Committee on Physical Infrastructure is expected to continue examining the Busega–Mpigi Expressway and other delayed road projects as Parliament seeks accountability for rising costs, delayed completion and alleged irregularities in Uganda’s road infrastructure programme.
