By Swift Reporter
President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the dismissal of six more senior engineers at the Ministry of Works and Transport as investigations intensify into alleged corruption, cost escalation and prolonged delays affecting several of Uganda’s flagship road projects, Parliament has heard.
The revelation was made on Monday by Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama while appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure during an inquiry into the implementation of major national road projects, including the Busega–Mpigi Expressway, Mubende–Fort Portal Road and Masaka–Mutukula Road.
“The President is taking the lead on most of these matters, not only the Busega–Mpigi Expressway but other projects as well. As I was leaving my office this morning, I saw communication from the President dismissing six engineers. Some of them are even seated here on the front bench. He has directed that they should leave immediately, not merely be interdicted,” Byamukama told MPs.
The minister, however, declined to disclose the identities of the affected officials, saying investigations were still ongoing.
He insisted the ministry was not shielding corrupt officials and welcomed the President’s intervention.” What I must say is that we are not concealing the corrupt. Neither are our officers supporting corruption. Our responsibility is to implement government programmes while the investigating agencies do their work,” he said.
The committee was also informed that the cost of the controversial Busega–Mpigi Expressway could rise to nearly UGX2 trillion, almost four times the project’s original contract value.
Byamukama revealed that an additional UGX700 billion will be required if the expressway is to be completed by 2028.
The project was initially contracted in 2019 at UGX547.543 billion, before the contract price was revised to about UGX1.3 trillion in October 2025. The latest estimates now place the final cost at almost UGX2 trillion.
“You will see the Busega–Mpigi Expressway. Some of the engineers here may tell you there is no problem, but there is a problem. A project that was supposed to cost UGX547 billion has now risen to UGX1.3 trillion because of alignment changes, and that amount is still not enough. We now need another UGX700 billion if the road is to be completed,” Byamukama said.
Isaac Ssekubunga, the contract manager for the Busega–Mpigi Expressway, attributed the soaring costs to substantial changes in the project’s scope after construction had commenced.
He explained that the original design envisioned a 23.7-kilometre linear expressway with only one interchange at Lungala and no tolling infrastructure.
However, the revised design expanded the expressway to 26.7 kilometres, extended it to Kalagala, increased the number of interchanges from one to four, added more than 20 kilometres of service roads, introduced four toll plazas and required extensive swamp treatment and additional drainage structures.
“The original design had no toll plazas. Now we have four to support toll operations. The route also shifted towards the edge of the swamp, increasing the quantities of swamp treatment works and drainage structures,” Ssekubunga explained.
Committee members sharply criticised the ministry for obtaining financing from the African Development Bank using what they described as draft designs that were later substantially altered.
Bufumbira South MP Alex Niyonsaba questioned how government committed more than half a trillion shillings to a project before completing its final engineering designs.
“I have never seen a government commit this amount of money based on draft designs. We want to know who convinced government to proceed under those circumstances,” he said.
Niyonsaba argued that reliance on incomplete designs had exposed taxpayers to enormous financial losses and was the primary reason Parliament was now investigating the project.
“The biggest issue is that government planned and borrowed using faulty figures derived from draft designs. That is why we are here today.”
Mbarara South City MP Mwine Mpaka also questioned why the expressway’s alignment was shifted from dry land into a wetland, yet the project cost continued to increase.
He challenged ministry officials to explain how Parliament had been persuaded to approve borrowing from the African Development Bank based on designs that were subsequently abandoned.
“The Minister came to Parliament seeking approval based on these designs. Those same designs were presented to the African Development Bank. If the road was later diverted into the swamp, why did the cost rise? Wetlands are not subject to compensation under the law, so who exactly was going to benefit?” Mpaka asked.
Responding, Byamukama acknowledged that preliminary investigations suggest some officials deliberately altered the alignment to pass through a wetland where individuals held structures and land titles, allegedly with the intention of benefiting from compensation.
“It is true the road was diverted from dry land into a wetland. Preliminary investigations indicate that a few individuals had structures beyond the swamp, and the road was redirected through the wetland. Fortunately, whistleblowers alerted government before compensation was paid,” he said.
The minister said all the structures had since been demolished and no compensation was paid after government established that wetlands cannot legally be privately owned.
“Those titles were never compensated. Had the matter not been exposed, government could easily have paid them, yet a swamp does not belong to any individual,” he added.
Hoima City Woman MP Asinasi Nyakato questioned whether the Ministry of Works had ceded control of key infrastructure projects to contractors and consultants.
“Are you truly in charge of this ministry? If so, why have consultants and contractors appeared to take over decision-making, judging from the report presented by your own technical staff?” she asked.
Byamukama defended the ministry’s leadership but acknowledged that corruption remains a persistent challenge within Uganda’s road sector.
“Yes, we are in charge. That is why many of these anomalies have been identified. We have competent engineers who know their work, but sometimes they are tempted by external interests. We continue working with the President and investigative agencies to address these challenges,” he said.
The committee’s inquiry into the Busega–Mpigi Expressway and other road projects is expected to continue as Parliament scrutinises the factors behind escalating costs, design changes, procurement decisions and allegations of corruption that have dogged some of Uganda’s largest infrastructure investments.
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