Minister for Works & Transport Byamukama Fred has directed the contractor EnergoProjekt of the Mityana–Mubende Road project to accelerate works and ensure it’s completed by March 2027.
This was after an inspection that revealed only 35% physical progress despite the project commencing in April 2021.
Key directives include completing asphalt laying to Kalamba within three weeks, deploying an additional construction team from Mubende towards Mityana, and prioritizing actual road works over claims.
Government will also release UGX 42 billion to facilitate continued progress as contractual disputes are being reviewed.
Speaking after inspecting the project, Byamukama said that when the contract was awarded to Serbian firm EnergoProjekt in 2021, some local officials defrauded the company at the signing stage.
“We have received evidence that when these people were getting the contract in 2021, our Ugandans lied to them. Our Ugandans lied to their bosses and took 6% out of the 395 billion shillings of the contract,” he said.
Byamukama further claimed the corruption has continued throughout the project’s implementation. “We have also received evidence that for every certificate they pay them, our corrupt Ugandans get 3% out of that money,” he added.
The contract, worth Shs395 billion, was initially expected to be completed in 2024. After failing to meet this deadline, the contractor sought a three-year extension to 2027, which the ministry granted. However, Byamukama said he was shocked to find another letter on his desk indicating the contractor now intended to push completion further to 2028—eight years after signing.
“I had never seen a contract in Uganda going for eight years. We cannot allow it,” he said.
Of the Shs395 billion total, the contractor has already received Shs185 billion. According to Byamukama, a significant portion of this money has gone into claims—payments not for work done, but for delays and disputes. He cited a pending claim of Shs24 billion, of which he said EnergoProjekt is entitled to only Shs7 billion.
“Seventeen billion is in claim. Claim that you delayed me, that maybe you gave me the design I can’t do in that time; the time they spend negotiating, you claim for the money. Our country cannot proceed in that direction,” he said.
The minister further alleged that influential figures in government have been sabotaging progress on the road to keep the contractor financially dependent on them.
“We have discovered that this project has been lagging behind because there are many big people in government who are rotating our good contractors,” Byamukama said.
“EnergoProjekt, the Serbian people, have done a number of projects, but there are many so-called big people in the country surrounding them, eating from them, so they don’t want them to finish the project. They see that they will have nowhere to eat from,” he added.
Byamukama has now issued a fresh ultimatum, giving the contractor until March 2027 to complete the road or face termination of the contract.
