Uganda: Member of Parliament (MP) demand govt action on roads and road safety amid accidents

 

The country’s poor state of road infrastructure and rising fatalities dominated the plenary sitting in Parliament, with MPs demanding urgent action from government to address funding gaps, stalled road works and worsening road safety conditions.

During plenary on Wednesday, 6 August 2025, Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, led the call for a more proactive and comprehensive approach to both road maintenance and safety, following a series of tragic road accidents including one along the Hoima–Buliisa Road in Kigorobya on Tuesday night that claimed the lives of at least 20 traders and left others injured.

“As we strive to improve the state of roads, we should also emphasise road safety,” said Among.

She cited the 2024 Annual Crime Report by the Uganda Police Force, which recorded 25,107 road crashes and 25,808 casualties. Among warned that unsafe road conditions combined with reckless behaviour and weak enforcement have created a deadly combination.

Lawmakers expressed alarm over the state of roads across the country, citing dilapidated stretches, stalled projects, delayed compensation, and failure by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to utilise allocated budgets.

Kyaka Central MP Hon. Bright Amooti lamented the state of the Kyegegwa–Kakumiro Road, where over 15 trucks remain parked due to impassable conditions.

“That road has been controlled by the Fort Portal station of UNRA and it is no longer in action,” he said.

Hon. Gorreth Namugga (NUP, Mawogola South) demanded immediate funding for critical needs, including Shs1.1 trillion in arrears and Shs850 billion for periodic maintenance.

“We are here for money. We are not here to lament,” she stressed.

Responding to the concerns, Minister for Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, warned of escalating fiscal losses if the maintenance backlog is not addressed urgently.

“Rehabilitation costs about Shs2.59 billion per kilometer, three times the cost of periodic maintenance. Failure to act could result in a preventable loss of up to Shs180 billion,” Katumba said.

He revealed the Ministry faces a Shs2.472 trillion funding gap for the financial year 2025/2026, including Shs1.071 trillion in arrears and Shs443 billion needed for land acquisition. As of July 2025, 27 road projects; 18 government-funded and nine donor-supported—have stalled or slowed due to delayed payments and lack of counterpart funding.

Contractors, he added, have now been engaged for roads including Mityana–Mubende, Nebbi–Arua, Ishaka–Mbarara, and Mpondwe. In response to complaints about Kyegegwa–Kyenjojo Road, a road unit previously working on Jinja Road has been redeployed to rehabilitate the affected stretch.

Speaker Among, however, raised broader concerns about road quality and Uganda’s dependency on external funding.

“Most roads we have do not last. And by the time we are rehabilitating them, we are still paying loans for their construction,” she said, referencing a recent presidential directive against over-reliance on donor financing.

Among listed several once functional roads now in disrepair including Mityana–Mubende, Mukono–Jinja, Ibanda–Mbarara and Mbarara–Ishaka, and revealed that President Museveni had directed the Minister of Finance to allocate Shs3.2 trillion specifically for these roads.

Minister Katumba also noted that 23 regional stations had become operational following staff absorption issues, and these are expected to bolster ongoing road maintenance efforts.

The conversation quickly turned to road safety, with MPs warning that poor infrastructure, reckless driving, inadequate signage, and unregulated transport systems were exacerbating the crisis.

Kalungu West MP, Hon. Joseph Ssewungu, called on the Committee on Physical Infrastructure to prioritise road markings and signage to improve visibility, especially at night.

Rakai District Woman MP, Hon. Juliet Kinyamatama, proposed the development of a more affordable and reliable transportation system for traders, blaming current business transport costs for dangerous improvisation.

State Minister for Internal Affairs, Hon. David Muhoozi, acknowledged serious gaps in road safety enforcement and promised a multi-faceted strategy.

“There are good traffic officers, but also bad apples. We are considering a road safety inspection unit and expanding CCTV coverage to monitor rogue behaviour,” he told the House.

Speaker Among said that it is now Parliament’s role to make a follow-up and ensure that the issue of the roads are worked on.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.