Finance requests sh1.6 trillion supplementary budget for road works

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Finance minister Matia Kasaija has submitted a supplementary budget to Parliament amounting to sh1.6 trillion for the National Roads Programme for the financial year 2025/26.

The funds are intended to address financing gaps for land acquisition, civil works on road projects, settlement of outstanding payments, road maintenance, and ferry operations.

According to documents seen by New Vision, Cabinet approved the supplementary budget on September 29, 2025.

According to finance minister Matia Kasaija, the funds will cater for road maintenance, national road upgrades and rehabilitation, and ferry operations.

Documents show that of the projects, 20 are ongoing, six are at the procurement stage, and 16 are completed.

Some of the roads lined up to benefit from the supplementary funding include Tororo–Busia, Najjanankumbi–Busabala road, Koboko–Yumbe–Moyo, Mubende–Kakumiro–Kagadi, Muyembe–Nakapiripirit road, and Masaka–Mutukula, among others.

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Waiswa Bageya, said several roads are in a bad state and the Ministry of Finance is currently mobilising funds to have them repaired.

He said with this release, roads that need urgent attention, such as Mityana–Mubende–Kyegegwa road, Mukono–Jinja road, Mbarara–Ibanda, Mbarara–Ishaka road, Ntungamo–Rukungiri road, Fort Portal–Bundibugyo road, and others, will be worked on.

“We have already talked to some of the contractors, and they are willing to resume work. Our budget has been front-loaded so that all roads that are in emergency state are worked on,” he said.