Motorists Rejoicing as Katonga–Lwera–Kalandazi Road Reconstruction Nears Completion

What the report says

Watchdog Uganda reports that reconstruction work on the Katonga–Lwera–Kalandazi sections of the Kampala–Masaka highway is nearing completion after floods in May 2023 damaged the route and collapsed the Katonga Bridge. The highway is a major link between central Uganda, western Uganda and cross-border destinations including Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, so the disruption forced traffic onto a much longer diversion and affected trade, travel and access to services.

According to the publisher, the Ministry of Works and Transport awarded a UGX 191 billion design-and-build contract in January 2024 to China Communications Construction Company, with PROME Consultants Limited as supervising engineers. The project covers a new permanent Katonga Bridge, 2.7 km of approach roads, and repairs to the Lwera and Kalandazi swamp sections. The article says the new Katonga bridge is complete and open to traffic, while demolition of the old bridge is underway.

Watchdog Uganda says the 1.5 km Kalandazi section is essentially finished, with culverts and roadworks completed and landscaping still being wrapped up. The larger 11.6 km Lwera stretch remains the main unfinished part, although culverts, base layers and some temporary surfacing are already in place. The report notes that progress has been slowed by delayed payment certificates and global bitumen supply problems linked to wider conflicts, but that the project is advancing overall.

The reconstruction matters because it restores a key transport corridor for commuters, traders and communities that depend on the highway for access to markets, schools and hospitals. The article frames the work as both an engineering repair and a step toward normalizing travel in the region.