The Kampala Northern Bypass has reopened to traffic after the Ministry of Works and Transport confirmed completion of rehabilitation works on the Namungoona–Bwaise section — a week after Works Minister Fred Byamukama ordered the contractor to finish the long-delayed project and clear the site within seven days.
“Asphalt laying works along the Kampala Northern Bypass have now been completed — 100%,” the ministry said in a statement on Monday, adding that the section was expected to reopen by 10:00am once the contractor, Stirling Civil Engineering, had fully demobilised all machinery and equipment from the site.
Road marking remains outstanding and will be carried out in the coming days, with the ministry saying this final stage would cause minimal or no disruption to traffic flow.
The reopening caps a tense final week for the project. During an inspection last week, Byamukama gave Stirling Civil Engineering seven days to complete the works, ruled out any extension, and directed the firm to remove all equipment from the site immediately after finishing. The Shs67 billion maintenance project had taken three years.
“You cannot work on a 21-kilometre road for three years and then come asking for an extension. We are not extending this contract,” the minister said.
Byamukama described the project as “a mess,” saying the prolonged construction had caused severe traffic congestion, led travellers to miss flights, discouraged investors and inconvenienced tourists entering the country through Kampala. He instructed the contractor to deploy additional manpower and equipment to beat the deadline.
Stirling Civil Engineering has not publicly responded to the minister’s remarks.
The current phase of works began in February 2026, when the ministry closed the carriageway between the Bwaise and Namungoona interchanges for removal of old asphalt, preparation of the road base and laying of a fresh overlay. The works were initially expected to last at least two months but stretched to about five. Throughout that period, the affected carriageway was fully closed, with traffic diverted onto the opposite side for two-way movement — an arrangement that caused heavy congestion, particularly at peak hours.
The Northern Bypass is one of Kampala’s most critical transport arteries. The 22.5-kilometre dual carriageway forms a semi-circle across the city’s northern suburbs, linking industrial zones, residential areas and the Entebbe Expressway, and allowing cross-country traffic between eastern and western Uganda to avoid the congested city centre. First opened in 2009 and expanded to a four-lane dual carriageway by 2022, it carries some of the heaviest traffic in the country, with interchanges at key junctions including Bwaise, Kalerwe and Namungoona.
The road has undergone frequent maintenance over the years, with works reported almost every financial year — a pattern that has drawn complaints from motorists questioning why sections are repeatedly dug up. The ministry maintains that regular maintenance is necessary to address wear from heavy commercial traffic before major damage sets in. Permanent Secretary Bageya Waiswa, speaking when this phase began, described the bypass as “a lifeline for trade and daily commuting in Kampala.”
The reopening is expected to restore normal journey times along the corridor for the first time in five months.
