BUSEGA-MPIGI EXPRESSWAY: Engineers defend design changes behind rising project cost

What the report says

The Independent Uganda, citing URN, reports that senior Ministry of Works and Transport engineers have defended redesigns to the Busega-Mpigi Expressway amid public concern over rising costs. During a Monday site inspection with Inspector General of Government Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala and her team, officials said the project had evolved from an older concept into a higher-standard expressway meant to reduce congestion on the Masaka Road corridor and improve links between Kampala and southwestern Uganda.

According to the report, Eng. Godfrey Bihemaiso said the original project, conceived around 2010 under the former Uganda National Roads Authority, lacked features now expected on a modern toll road, including flyovers, multiple interchanges and link roads. URN reported that the initial 2016-approved estimate was about Shs547.543 billion, but later review found the design did not meet current safety, capacity and environmental requirements. The redesign added interchanges at Nabbingo, Maya and Mpigi, about 16.7 kilometres of link roads, 4.59 kilometres of service roads, extra bridges, culverts, drainage works and toll infrastructure, while expanding the road to four lanes.

Engineers said the changes greatly increased excavation, swamp works and rock fill requirements, helping push costs upward. They also said some rerouting was intended to reduce disruption to communities and avoid conflict with the planned Standard Gauge Railway corridor. Land compensation, reported at about Shs118 billion for 4,222 affected people across 591.8 acres, was described by officials as reflecting international social safeguard requirements.

The project remains under investigation by the IGG and other agencies after concerns over cost escalation, design changes and management. Engineers denied compensation was paid on the abandoned alignment and said the revised cost, cited at about Shs1.3 trillion, is still under negotiation with the contractor and financier.