Gen. Katumba Paints Grim Picture of Deteriorating Road Network

The Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, has issued a dire warning to Parliament over the state of Uganda’s national roads, citing a critical funding shortfall that threatens ongoing projects, maintenance, and the overall safety of the country’s road network.

Presenting a ministerial statement to the House on Wednesday, Gen. Katumba said that the situation has reached alarming levels, with tragic road accidents, escalating domestic arrears, and deteriorating infrastructure posing serious national concerns.

“Rt. Hon. Speaker, let me start by addressing the tragic accidents that have occurred on the road network this month, including the bus accident on Kisoga-Nyenga Road, the bus collision along the Pakwach-Arua Road, and the accident at the Busabala Flyover. I extend heartfelt condolences to the families affected by this unfortunate event,” he said. He added that investigations are underway to establish the causes of these incidents and ensure that such preventable loss of life does not recur.

Gen. Katumba revealed that the FY2025/26 allocation for national roads stands at UGX 682 billion, against a required UGX 3.15 trillion, creating a funding gap of UGX 2.472 trillion. “The National Roads Development Programme faces a severe funding deficit. The current budgetary allocations are far below the resources required for the timely completion of critical road development, rehabilitation, and maintenance projects,” he told Parliament.

The required funds would cater to domestic arrears now exceeding UGX 1 trillion, land acquisition for new and ongoing projects, urgent maintenance works, and emergency repairs on bridges damaged by recent extreme weather. “Unless there is an urgent intervention, the domestic arrears could further escalate in the next fiscal years with adverse impacts,” the minister warned.

He highlighted that budget allocations have declined drastically over the past three financial years, from 90% of the planned requirement in FY2022/23 to just 20% in FY2025/26. The Minister outlined how critical projects like Mityana–Mubende, Kampala–Jinja, and Mbarara–Ishaka have been severely underfunded or completely left out of the FY2025/26 allocation. “Mityana–Mubende requires UGX 130 billion and was only allocated UGX 21 billion. 

Kampala–Jinja required UGX 90 billion and was only allocated UGX 7 billion. Mbarara–Ishaka was not allocated any resources despite being in bad condition,” he noted. Without an increase in funding, Gen. Katumba warned, Uganda could face increased interest on arrears, higher contractor claims due to delays, and rising accident rates on abandoned or poorly maintained roads. 

“The estimated interest in FY2025/26 due to delayed payments is approximately UGX 48 billion,” he said, citing financial and reputational risks for the government. The country’s paved road network—currently at 6,306 km—is at serious risk, with 615 km already degraded beyond maintainable levels. “If no periodic maintenance activities are done… an additional 500 km of paved roads currently in fair condition will degrade to the point of requiring full rehabilitation,” he said. 

He explained that while maintenance costs range from UGX 646 million to UGX 1.14 billion per kilometre, rehabilitation costs shoot up to UGX 2.28–2.66 billion per kilometre. “Periodic maintenance renews the life of the road. A good example is the Kampala Northern Bypass, where the ongoing maintenance will give the road a new lease of life at a reasonable cost,” the minister stated.  

Gen. Katumba appealed to Parliament to urgently consider allocating more funds to enable completion of key projects, settlement of arrears, and support for externally financed projects, which risk stalling due to lack of counterpart funding. “Provide additional resources to enable contractors on ongoing projects such as Mityana–Mubende, Kampala–Jinja… complete them on schedule,” he urged. He also called for prioritised and predictable release of maintenance funds, stressing that failure to act would erode years of government investment in the sector.

The Minister assured the House of the Ministry’s commitment to safety inspections and blackspot interventions. “We will continue to conduct inspections of blackspots across the road network to install mitigation measures to ensure the safety of all road users,” he said. Gen. Katumba closed his statement with a pledge: “The Ministry of Works and Transport is committed to utilising the allocated resources in the most effective manner possible for reliable and safe works, transportation infrastructure and services.”