How ministry corruption bloated Mpigi Expressway cost to Shs 2 trillion

What the report says

The Observer reports that Uganda’s Busega–Mpigi Expressway is now projected to cost about Shs 2 trillion by completion, sharply above the initial estimate of roughly Shs 600 billion. Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama attributed the increase to delays, redesigns, interruptions in financing and alleged corruption inside the ministry. He said the project cost has already reached around Shs 1.3 trillion, with a further Shs 700 billion needed for remaining works.

According to the report, the road was rerouted through swampy areas in Wakiso and Mpigi districts to reduce compensation costs in densely populated zones. Byamukama alleged that some ministry officials and private individuals who had acquired land in those areas exploited the change to gain from compensation and project-related benefits. The Observer says disciplinary steps have followed: engineers Dickens Ahimbisibwe and Edwin Raymond Kiyaga were suspended, while permanent secretary Bageya Waiswa was sent on forced leave over alleged corruption-linked activities.

The ministry says the contractor has resumed under revised terms, with completion now expected by the end of 2028 instead of the earlier 2026 target. Allan Ssempebwa, the ministry communications officer, put progress at 47 per cent and said the additional Shs 700 billion relates to the proposed Busega Systems Interchange, intended to connect the expressway with major Kampala routes including the Northern Bypass, Entebbe Expressway and Masaka Highway.

The Observer reports that the revised scope includes more interchanges, toll plazas, service lanes, additional bridges, a 27.3-kilometre expressway length and expanded drainage. The African Development Bank remains a key financier. The project matters because it is intended to ease movement in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, but its rising cost highlights persistent risks in land acquisition, procurement, financing and oversight of major infrastructure works.