Uganda’s Road Crisis Deepens: Mounting Dept and Struggling Businesses

By Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1221 EAT on Wednesday 20 August 2025

On a sweltering afternoon in Najjera, the unfinished Kiwatule–Kira–Kiwogoma road paints a tale of contrasts — one of long-promised progress, and another of daily disruption.

Vehicles inch over rough, uneven terrain as traders battle thick dust to protect their goods. Around them, residents watch in frustration, still waiting for a road project that once held the promise of progress but has instead brought prolonged disruption.

“For who?” asked a local bar owner, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Who is going to drive through this muddy road just to drink a beer at Shs 5,000 and then spend Shs 10,000 cleaning their car?”

He sighed and added, “Nothing is working. Business is really struggling.”

The 13-kilometre Kiwatule–Kira–Kiwogoma road, launched in September 2024 by Chinese contractor CHICO, was part of a World Bank-funded initiative aimed at improving transport connectivity across the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.

The project came with an ambitious promise: a modern four-lane highway designed to ease the chronic congestion stifling Kira and its rapidly growing suburbs. But nearly a year on, construction has stalled.

According to Eng. James Joloba, the executive engineer at Kira Municipality, the primary obstacle has not been technical limitations or lack of funding — but land acquisition.

“We have experienced some delays because we are not compensating landowners,” explained Eng. James Joloba.

Instead, municipal authorities have been appealing to residents to voluntarily surrender portions of their land for the greater good. So far, approximately 90 percent of landowners have signed consent agreements, though a few holdouts continue to delay full access to certain sections.

Despite the challenges, work is ongoing — particularly along the Mbogo–Cyprian Kizito stretch, where drainage and earthworks continue. Overall, Joloba estimates construction is about 70 percent complete, crediting community cooperation for keeping the project on track.

“We have a five-year budget of over Shs 178 billion, and we’re two and a half years in,” he said. “So far, we’ve completed work on 11.3 kilometres. The Kyanja–Kungu–Najjera road is now over 80 percent complete.”

Joloba emphasized that the nationwide suspension of road works due to government funding shortfalls has not affected this particular project, which is financed by the World Bank and bound by strict contractual timelines.

The Price of Progress

As engineers grapple with land acquisition challenges, it is traders and residents who are bearing the brunt of the prolonged disruption. Businesses that once flourished along the road — including shops, lounges, and markets — now stand empty.

“Migos Lounge, Gibbs, La Venti — they’ve all closed,” said the Najjera bar owner. “Even Octopus is about to shut down. Do you expect customers to drive on these bumpy roads after drinking?”

Others pointed to losses tied not just to limited access, but to relentless dust. Nalwanga Joan, a clothing trader, said even basic dust control efforts have had unintended consequences.

“When we display clothes, we don’t want them wet or dusty,” she explained. “We asked the contractors to spray carefully, but instead they splash water everywhere. Customers don’t want to buy wet clothes.”

For fish vendor Nakanjako Jane, the dust has become a daily crisis.

“If you leave fresh fish out for even 30 minutes, it turns brown,” she said. “We keep washing it, but how long can that go on? Development is good, but it’s killing our businesses.”

Even restaurants built to protect food haven’t been spared. One pork joint owner reported that his daily sales had dropped from 50 kilograms to just 10.

“We keep most of it in the fridge now. Dust settles on everything,” he said

Some residents, like Musisi Jacob, have abandoned the road altogether.

“Whether it’s dust in the dry season or mud in the rainy season, I’ve stopped using that road,” he said. “I now take the Nalya–Kyaliwajjala route. Otherwise, you end up washing your car twice a day or arriving at work covered in dust.”

A Nation’s Roads in Crisis

The delays in Kira are part of a wider national challenge. Earlier this month, Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, announced the suspension of 27 major road and bridge projects across Uganda, citing severe funding shortfalls.

Major infrastructure projects such as the Kampala–Mpigi Expressway and the Kampala–Jinja Highway have stalled, as the government grapples with unpaid arrears and rising interest claims from contractors.

For the 2025/26 financial year, Uganda requires Shs 3.15 trillion to keep road works on schedule. However, only Shs 682 billion has been allocated — leaving a funding gap of Shs 2.47 trillion.

Parliament has attributed the widespread suspension of road projects to delayed payments and unresolved land acquisition disputes, which continue to hinder progress on critical infrastructure, including the Masindi–Biiso and Kabale–Kiziranfumbi oil roads.

In addition to current budget shortfalls, the government is burdened by arrears amounting to Shs 1.07 trillion from previous financial years, compounded by rising interest and escalating monthly cost claims from contractors. Land acquisition remains another major bottleneck, with an estimated Shs 443 billion needed to compensate affected landowners and secure access to construction sites — a key factor delaying many donor-funded projects.

Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, also warned that Uganda’s road network is deteriorating at an alarming rate. He revealed that 1,993 kilometres require urgent maintenance, while 260 kilometres need full rehabilitation.

“If not addressed, these roads will degrade further and eventually require rehabilitation, which costs approximately Shs 2.59 billion per kilometre — three times the cost of periodic maintenance,” he cautioned.

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