Ministers Give Contractor Afcon Deadline for Bweyogerere-Buto Road

What the report says

KAMPALA — Ugandan ministers have ordered faster work on the 6.6-kilometre Bweyogerere-Buto Road, saying the project must be completed before the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations or risk contract termination. The directive came during a Tuesday inspection of road works in Kira Municipality under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Programme (GKMA-UDP).

The road is being built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, with HERSUN Consults Ltd supervising. According to the ministers, the project was only about 2% complete despite the contractor having had the site for several months. They said the road is important because it links hotels and provides access to Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, one of the expected AFCON venues.

State Minister Kabuye Kyofatogabye and Kampala affairs minister Minsa Kabanda said the slow pace was unacceptable and urged the contractor to add equipment, workers and, if needed, subcontract parts of the work to recover lost time. They also warned against future delays linked to land acquisition and utility relocation, saying government wants most right-of-way issues settled before major civil works contracts are awarded.

The contractor blamed delays on access problems and work at the nearby Bweyogerere Interchange, but the ministers rejected that explanation. Kabanda said the government would not hesitate to cancel the contract if progress does not improve, while also pointing to other GKMA-UDP roads, such as Najjera Road, as examples of faster implementation.