Museveni and Uganda’s infrastructure expansion

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OPINION

By Nnanda Kizito Sseruwagi

NRM’s mission for the Ugandan society in the last four decades can be summarised in three words: socio-economic transformation.

We can debate the extent to which this has been achieved, but at least it is clear what the party’s mission is. This mission has been articulated the longest and most consistently by the vision bearer, President Yoweri Museveni.

In other words, Museveni’s goal is to transform Uganda from a poverty-stricken, underdeveloped country into a modern, prosperous one.

In order to achieve this, infrastructure systems like roads, electricity, water systems, railways, and information and communication technology (ICT) are essential factors in the improvement of people’s lives and the growth of the economy. Indeed, investment in those projects is a precursor to economic growth and development.

NRM’s transport infrastructure policy seems to be informed by the understanding that roads or railways are stimulants of economic growth when they penetrate through towns and villages.

Therefore, whereas we still have a serious problem of dilapidation of the road network in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan area and some national trunk roads, NRM has still prioritised road construction and tried to connect all the major roads that form the primary routes for long-distance and freight traffic in the country, connecting major border cities.

Museveni’s government is also one of the largest spenders on infrastructure in terms of the share of GDP on infrastructure projects, especially roads. Uganda's infrastructure spending is around 11% of GDP.

The significant challenge has remained the limited budget, spent in absolute terms, but, relatively, Uganda’s budget prioritises infrastructure development compared with many developing and developed countries.

Around 2008, when the country’s major insecurity problems were generally solved, for the first time, the government increased expenditure on roads to sh1.08 trillion. President Museveni himself had directed that since the country had attained some level of stability, it was time to prioritise electricity and roads above anything else.

It is obvious what Museveni was trying to achieve. You cannot be dedicated to socio-economic transformation and not have power generation and road construction at the core of your national investments.

Observing the world’s highest generators and consumers of power is, in fact, one way of finding out which countries are most developed or developing. People in developed countries consume a lot more energy compared to people in underdeveloped and deindustrialising countries.

China generates approximately seven million GW of electricity, followed by the U.S. (over four million GW), India (over 1.5 million GW), Russia (over 1 million GW) and Japan (over 900,000 GW). A single U.S. citizen consumes over 12,671 kWh of electricity. In contrast, Uganda’s installed electricity generation capacity connected to the grid is approximately 2,052.7 MW. The per-capita electricity consumption of Ugandan citizens is estimated to be below 200 kWh/year.

Therefore, an average American consumes about 120 times more electricity per year than an average Ugandan. For Museveni, progress means continuously closing this wide gap.

Indeed, some progress has been made since 2000, when Uganda’s grid-connected total electricity generation was about 1,587 GWh, and an average Ugandan consumed approximately 36.7 kWh/year.

Uganda’s road network has also been expanded and improved from 1,000 km of tarmac roads in 1986 to 6,306 km as of June 2024.

There are several roads in the city and other parts of the country spanning over 1,135 km, which are under construction and thus not included in the foregoing count.

In terms of expenditure, over sh1.4 trillion has been expended on maintaining tarmac roads during the past five years. New roads spanning 1,185.5 km have also been completed.

These include: Atiak-Adjumani-Umi, Buhimba-Nalweyo-Bulamagi-Igayaza-Kakumiro, Bulima Hoima Kabwoya, Hoima-Butiaba-Wanseko, Kampala Northern By-Pass, Kapchorwa-Suam, Kayunga-Busana-River Nile, Kigumba-Bulima, Kitala-Gerenge, Kyenjojo-Kabwoya, Masaka Bukakata, Masindi-Park Junction, Tangi Junction- Para-Buliisa, Mbale-Bubulo-Lwakhakha, Mubende-Kakumiro-Kagadi, Rukungiri-Kihihi-Ishasha-Kanungu, and Tirinyi-Pallisa-Kumi, Kumi-Mukongoro-Pallisa.

When you read the National Unity Platform manifesto, besides complaints, you do not see practical plans to address Uganda’s road challenges.

The NRM manifesto expressly lays out plans for the construction of roads, expressways, bridges and drainage channels, with details of those projects indicated in tables and figures. It lists what roads require rehabilitation, new construction, or new designs. It is clear which cities, municipalities or districts require new road construction equipment.

It is intent on expanding street lighting and traffic-control signals in Kampala, regional cities and municipalities. For whatever shortcomings the NRM has, it shows that it is the most able and serious about handling Uganda’s development.

Museveni has long also articulated a strategy to build an efficient rail transport system by refurbishing the existing Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) and constructing a new Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).

He often says that he wants to transform Uganda from a landlocked to a land-linked country. He argues that the railway will enable Uganda to reduce the costs of transporting cargo by half, thereby reducing the cost of doing business. And that it will also remove the cargo from our roads, hence increasing their lifespan, and reducing congestion and accidents. You do not find these issues addressed in Bobi Wine’s quarrelsome manifesto.

As a grand strategist managing a landlocked country, Museveni also understands the significance of investing in air transport infrastructure. He thus revived the national airline, which he says “our new liberalists had mistakenly appraised on commercial terms and recommended its closure.”

The revival of Uganda Airlines has also greatly improved Uganda’s connectivity within the continent, the Middle East, Asia and the United Kingdom. The airline currently flies directly to 17 destinations, reducing both the travel time and cost.

The emergence of Uganda Airlines has also led to reduced costs of air tickets through competitive pricing; hence, today, a return air ticket to Nairobi has stabilised at about $400, compared to $800 in 2019.

Our national airline has also become the largest operator and has 24% market share of all air travel out of Entebbe Airport, up from 4% in 2019, and its revenue has increased to sh411b in FY 2023/24 from sh28b in FY 2019/20.

The government has further invested in several strategic areas regarding air transport infrastructure, including building new airports, upgrading and expanding existing ones, and expanding air cargo transport. Uganda now has two new international airports in Hoima and Kidepo in Karamoja, and is developing aerodromes in Arua, Gulu, Pakuba, Jinja, Kisoro and Kasese to promote internal travel, trade and tourism.

Museveni has been keen on expanding Uganda’s energy generation and transmission.

His government has been building transmission lines running 1,038 km to evacuate power from Karuma and Isimba dams.

These are: Karuma-Kawanda, Karuma-Olwiyo, Karuma-Lira, Namanve-Luzira, Mutundwe-Entebbe, Opuyo-Moroto, Gulu-Agago, Kole–Gulu–Nebbi–Arua and Mirama-Kabale. With the commissioning of nine new substations in recent years, the cumulative total of transmission lines intersecting the country has come to 5,140 km, up from 2,354 km in 2019/20.

The government is also planning to construct more electricity generation plants, including Buyende Nuclear Power Plant (8,600 MW), Kiba Hydropower Plant (400 MW), Solar Power Plant (500 MW), Wind energy systems (70 MW), and also invest in renewable sources of energy for areas where it is very expensive to extend the national grid. It is also continuously capitalising UEDCL to further reduce the tariff cost.

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