Uganda’s government has set aside Shs8.8 trillion for road and railway development in the 2026/27 financial year, as authorities lean on infrastructure spending to spur economic growth and tighten regional connectivity.
Central to the plan is the long-delayed Kira–Kasangati–Matugga Road, a Shs200 billion project that featured among the priority works receiving funding under the Shs84 trillion national budget. The 23-kilometre road, built by Chongqing International Construction Corporation, runs from Kyaliwajala Trading Centre through Kira and Kasangati to Matugga, with a branch leading to Buwate. It was commissioned by President Museveni in December 2020 and was designed with dual carriageways, five major junctions and street lighting.
The project missed its original January 2024 completion date, with construction only 30 percent done by August 2023 — a delay that drew public criticism. The 2026/27 National Budget Framework Paper now lists it alongside three other major highway projects expected to be finished in the coming year: the 92-kilometre Muyembe–Nakapiripirit road through Bugisu and Karamoja, the Tororo–Busia corridor, and the 100.1-kilometre Apac–Lira–Puranga road. Together, these works form part of a wider Shs8.79 trillion programme under the Works and Transport sector.
Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama said clearing the backlog of stalled projects is an immediate priority, noting that some roads have dragged on for four to six years without completion. He pointed specifically to the Mubende–Mityana and Jinja Express Highway projects as needing urgent attention.
Beyond finishing existing works, the ministry plans to begin construction on an additional 697.6 kilometres of road under the Fourth National Development Plan. These include the Kayunga–Baale–Galiraya, Katine–Ochero, Muko–Katuna, Jinja–Mbulamuti–Kamuli–Bukungu, Kitgum–Kidepo, Kumi–Ngora–Brooks Corner–Serere–Kagwara, Karugutu–Ntoroko and Rwebisengo link roads, along with the Laropi–Moyo–Afoji road and town roads in Kaberamaido, Kalaki, Jinja and Ntoroko.
A separate Shs1 billion road maintenance grant programme will support rehabilitation of 11,000 kilometres of district and community access roads, plus 2,460 kilometres of municipal and city roads. On top of that, routine mechanised maintenance is planned for roughly 20,000 kilometres of national roads — 5,857.86 km paved and 13,350.6 km unpaved — while another 13,844 kilometres will undergo routine manual upkeep and 1,185.95 kilometres of unpaved roads will receive periodic maintenance.
Greater Kampala gets the bulk of urban works
The Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, designated a Special Planning Area under a Cabinet-approved development strategy dating back to 2013, is set to receive 72.06 kilometres of roads, four markets and three drainage channels. Mukono District alone is expected to get 59.3 kilometres of roads, two markets, a slaughterhouse and drainage infrastructure, while Makindye-Ssabagabo Municipality will receive 56.6 kilometres of roads along with a market and a slaughterhouse. Wakiso, Mukono Municipality, Nansana Municipality, Mpigi District, Entebbe Municipality and Kira Municipality are also listed as beneficiaries. Kira, recently elevated to municipality status, stands to gain 46 kilometres of roads and two markets.
Other ongoing urban initiatives include the Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project, the Kampala City Roads and Bridges Upgrading Project, and the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Programme. Under the rehabilitation project, more than 120 kilometres of roads are being upgraded, including Salaama Road, Spring Road, and several numbered streets, alongside work on Port Bell Road, Old Mubende Road and the Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road–Mpererwe-Kiteezi-Kiti corridor. The African Development Bank-funded scheme is also expected to begin work soon on drainage, street lighting and signalised junctions to ease congestion and flooding.
Bridges and emergency repairs
The government’s bridge programme covers continued construction and upkeep of strategic crossings nationwide. Emergency works are ongoing on Ssezibwa Bridge along the Kalagi–Kayunga road, as well as on Katonga Bridge and the Lwera and Kalandazi swamp sections. Thirteen new bridges are earmarked for construction, including the Alla, Gazi and Aca bridges in Rhino Camp, the Kochi Bridge on the Keri-Midigo-Kerwa road, the Osu Bridge on the Arua-Biliafe-Otrevu road, and the Odrua Bridge on the Arua-Vurra-Custom-Paidha-Goli road. Others planned include the Apaa Bridge on the Amuru-Omee-Rhino Camp road, the Nabukhaya, Nambola, Nametsimeri, Sahana and Khamitsaru bridges on the Kufu-Lwakhakha road, and the Rubongi Bridge on the Tororo-Nagongera road. In March, government secured Shs422.26 billion to fund fleet expansion under a supplementary budget allocation tied to maintenance.
Railway revival on the cards
Rail transport features prominently in the broader strategy. The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project, which is expected to link Uganda to Kenya’s rail network and cut both transit time and transport costs, gained fresh momentum in 2024 when Uganda signed a 2.7-billion-euro contract with Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi to build the Tororo–Kampala line. Government intends to finance the first 27 kilometres, from Malaba to Kampala, in the coming financial year, with the World Bank having committed $650 million in March, pending technical, economic, commercial and legal assessments.
Alongside the SGR, government plans to rehabilitate 245 kilometres of the existing Meter Gauge Railway between Kampala and Malaba, including two new passenger terminus stations and five passenger halts. The Uganda Railways Corporation will also procure additional locomotives and rolling stock, including diesel multiple units, passenger coaches and a 100-tonne crane, plus a planned multifunctional one-stop railway centre.
Outgoing Works and Transport Minister Gen Katumba Wamala formally handed over office to his successor, Mr Fred Byamukama, last week. Speaking on the rail strategy, Byamukama said shifting freight from road to rail would significantly cut transport costs and improve efficiency, adding that the goal is for cargo from South Sudan and Rwanda to eventually move by railway rather than road.
Aviation investment continues
The government also intends to expand Uganda Airlines’ fleet and strengthen its route network, alongside plans to operationalise Kabalega International Airport and rehabilitate aerodromes in Gulu, Kasese, Arua, Pakuba, Kidepo, Kisoro, Mbarara, Lira, Tororo, Masindi, Moroto, Jinja and Soroti. Last week, Uganda Airlines signed a Shs3.7 trillion agreement with Boeing for ten new aircraft, a deal described as strategic for supporting fleet expansion and global connectivity, even as the carrier continues to grapple with operational challenges linked to fleet shortages.
Finance Minister Matia Kasaija’s office, represented by State Minister for Finance Henry Musasizi, said government remains committed to delivering both the SGR and the Meter Gauge Railway rehabilitation, with plans to eventually construct 272 kilometres of standard gauge track.
President Museveni, speaking during last week’s Budget Speech, said anticipated oil revenues would help finance strategic infrastructure, particularly the railway linking Uganda with Kenya, Tanzania, Congo and South Sudan.
