Contractors abandon road works over sh1.351 trillion debt

KAMPALA - Several road construction projects across the country have stalled as contractors abandon sites due to unpaid arrears amounting to sh1.351 trillion, the works minister, Gen. Katumba Wamala, has revealed.

Among the abandoned projects is the Busabala Flyover, where China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) is demanding sh43b in outstanding payments. 

The site gained attention on Saturday, following the tragic death of Rajiv Ruparelia, the managing director of the Ruparelia Group of Companies. 

Rajiv, the only son of Kampala tycoon Sudhir Ruparellia, perished after his vehicle hit barriers at Busabala flyover on the Munyonyo Southern Bypass at 1:54am on Saturday. 

He was travelling in his favourite Nissan GTR motor vehicle registration number UAT 638L from Kajjansi towards Munyonyo. 

Other affected road projects include the Kampala-Jinja Highway, Mubende-Mityana road and the Greater Kampala metropolitan roads funded by the World Bank. 

Additional stalled works include the Northern Bypass, Entebbe-Nakawuka road, Busega-Mpigi Expressway, Mbale-Soroti road and the Rwekunye-Apac-Aduku-Lira-Kitgum-Musingo road. 

The Kira–Kasangati–Matugga road is also among those affected. Addressing the media at the ministry headquarters in Kampala, Katumba noted that many contractors had not received payments for completed works, a situation that has severely hampered progress. 

The minister stated that he had raised the issue in Parliament and requested a supplementary budget to clear the arrears. 

The works minister, Gen. Katumba Wamala.

“We know that a number of roads have outlived their lifespans, so we have plans for maintenance and rehabilitation. The challenge, of course, is the issue that we have been discussing many times. The ratio of funding between road construction and road maintenance. 

This is the issue we are still engaging with the finance ministry — that we increase money for road maintenance. I can tell you our budget for next year for road maintenance has been cut. Last year, as Uganda National Roads Authority was coming in, I raised a red flag in Parliament and Cabinet about the money we were owing contractors, close to sh1.351 trillion,” Katumba said. 

He said he knew that many people were asking what the ministry was doing. 

“We work as a team in Government, but also, I want to you to be aware that we are operating a cash economy. The money we get is the money we spend. I don’t think anybody bares a blame. But we are talking to the finance ministry to see what other modalities we can do so that we can maintain our road network,” Katumba added. 

The minister noted that with effect from the next financial year, they need to maintain about 2,000km and rehabilitate about 400km. That is without structures, such as bridges, which have outlived their usefulness, for example, the Pakwach Bridge, which we are soon bringing down. These are the challenges the country is facing, but it is not that they (Government) doesn’t care. We do care and know where each kilometre of the road is”.
 
He said they had requested for a supplementary grant from the finance ministry to pay the contractors so that they could get back to the roads.

“We had requested for some supplementary budget. It was passed and we started receiving some supplementary money, but not all the sh1.3 trillion we asked for was sent. We shall again spend within those limits and see if the contractors can get back to the roads,” Katumba added. 

He also said the ministry had taken an initiative to develop the internal capacity of its construction unit, so that it could respond to emergencies and cited Gayaza-Kalagi road, where they are currently working after completing the Mabira stretch. 

The minister revealed that the unit will be going back to Jinja and Katosi roads to renovate and fill potholes in some sections. 

Katumba revealed that the Government had launched investigations to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of Rajiv. 

Katumba said he was compelled to address the media following pressure from various media houses, which demanded that he speaks not only about the weekend incident in which Rajiv died, but also about the general state of the country’s road network and whether there are concrete plans to improve it.

He asked Eng. Isaac Wani, the acting commissioner for roads, is to explain why road construction takes so long. 

According to Wani, the process cannot be done in one week, because it involves clearing trees and grass, excavation and removing loose materials, as well as preparing the ground for the foundation and laying the sub-base, among others.

Rajiv's death probed 

Katumba revealed that the Government had launched investigations to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of Rajiv. 

“On behalf of the ministry, we want to pass our condolences and join the family of Sudhir Ruparelia and the whole country in mourning Rajiv, a very young, enterprising person. Of course, the death of a child to a parent is devastating. Some of us have gone through this, and we can tell it is a devastating situation for a parent to look into the grave of a child. It is very touching,” he said. 

Katumba noted that: “The investigations will establish more than just the cause of death.” The Minister urged media houses not to speculate. 

“Let the investigations team come out with a detailed report. Sometimes, when you report prematurely, you create an impression that that is the direction and when the supposed investigation says otherwise, retrieving that becomes a problem,” he said. 

The minister clarified that the Entebbe Expressway does not reach Munyonyo spa: “Munyonyo spa is not an expressway, and that is why you find there are traffic lights and speed limits which indicate the speed. The expressway is from Busega to Mpala.” 

Katumba’s comments come in the wake of pressure from the public, with calls for the works ministry to be held responsible for the accident, after they reportedly failed to clear the barriers that had been placed on the road for months.

Capt. Mukula comments 

National Resistance Movement (NRM) vice-chairman in charge of eastern region, Capt. Mike Mukula, said: “The fatal expressway accident that claimed the life of Rajiv and many others is an unforgivable tragedy. It exposes gross negligence in road construction management. Whoever placed those barriers without proper signage or warning must be held criminally liable. This includes individuals, contractors and supervising authorities. 

“We demand a full investigation and immediate criminal charges for culpable homicide, abuse of office and reckless endangerment. This is not an isolated case. Roads under construction across Kampala and Uganda lack basic safety compliance — no signage, lighting, or protective barriers. Enough is enough.” 

However, Katumba said “the investigation team would issue a detailed report and, where there would be blame to be apportioned, it will be apportioned.”