Gov’t apologises for delayed Mubende road works as accident claims businessman, driver

What the report says

The Observer reports that Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has apologised to residents of Mubende over delays in the rehabilitation of the Mityana-Mubende road after a fatal crash that killed businessman Kenneth Kaijuka, 45, and his brother-in-law and driver, Stephen. The accident happened on Friday evening at Kagavu in Kalonga sub-county, when Kaijuka’s Nissan Murano collided with a Mercedes-Benz Actros truck travelling in the opposite direction.

According to the article, the two adults died at the scene while Kaijuka’s four children survived with fractures after being trapped in the wreckage for several hours. The report says eyewitnesses blamed speeding by the truck driver and pointed to the poor condition of the road as a contributing factor. At the funeral service in Kampala, Kaijuka’s relatives and mourners also criticised the slow pace of works and called for public protest over the state of the road.

The Mityana-Mubende section is described as an 86-kilometre stretch linking central and western Uganda. Work began in 2021, with completion originally expected in 2024, but it has faced delays linked to funding and administrative problems. Tayebwa said government had released money and was pushing the contractor to finish the project, while also urging motorists to drive carefully and police to enforce road safety.

The article places the crash within wider concerns about unsafe roads and traffic enforcement in Uganda. It also notes that a further 89.3-kilometre section from Mubende to Kyegegwa and Kyenjojo is being handled separately by the ministry’s in-house construction unit.