Car bonds on Jinja highway given 30-day ultimatum to vacate road reserve

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The Ministry of Works and Transport has issued a 30-day grace period, effective from June 27, 2025, for car bond operators encroaching on the Nakawa–Banda–Kireka road reserve (Kampala–Jinja highway) to vacate the area.

In a public notice issued on Thursday, June 26, 2025, the Ministry's Permanent Secretary, Waiswa Bageya, said the move seeks to restore road safety and preserve the integrity of the national road network.

“The Ministry of Works and Transport informs car dealers and car bond operators of a planned operation along the Nakawa–Banda–Kireka section of the road reserve on Kampala–Jinja Highway,” Bageya stated.

He explained that establishing car bonds within designated road reserves contravenes Section 16(1) of the Roads Act, 2019.

He added that this encroachment has led to increased traffic congestion, blockage of drainage systems, and serious safety hazards along this critical corridor.

“In accordance with Section 24(1) of the Roads Act, 2019, the Ministry is issuing a 30-day grace period to all affected car dealers and car bond operators effective June 27, 2025, requiring them to voluntarily vacate the road reserve,” Bageya said.

He warned that failure to comply within the stipulated timeframe would result in eviction and removal of any unauthorised structures or installations at the owners’ cost.

Bageya stressed that the exercise is crucial to restoring the functionality, safety, and structural integrity of this stretch of the national road network.

This is not the first time sections of this road have been cleared of encroachers.

In October last year, the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) began clearing road reserves along the Kampala–Jinja Highway as part of a nationwide exercise targeting all encroachments.

In a statement, UNRA noted that the clearance was also intended to facilitate ongoing rehabilitation works by creating space for construction activities, including drainage infrastructure.

“In certain areas, such as the Banda–Kyambogo–Nakawa section, car dealers who were evicted had taken over the entire road reserve and backfilled drainage channels, leading to flooding during heavy rains,” the statement read.

However, despite previous enforcement efforts, some bond owners, particularly around Kyambogo, returned and restored their structures, backfilling cleared areas and acting with impunity.