MPs Call for Government Takeover and Probe of Kampala-Entebbe Expressway Management
On Tuesday, 25 August 2026, Uganda’s Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure formally urged the government to take over the operations and maintenance of the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway. Led by Chairperson Hon. Mwine Mpaka, the committee presented a report highlighting management failures, heavy reliance on cash transactions, and questionable private contracts, aiming to protect public revenue and ensure loan repayment.
Parliamentary Findings and Financial Irregularities on the Expressway
The toll highway linking the capital of Kampala to Entebbe has faced intense legislative scrutiny over its ongoing financial administration. According to the committee’s report presented to the House, reliance on cash transactions, procurement concerns, and contractor cost issues have compromised the project’s financial integrity.
“These concerns left the committee with limited assurance regarding the management of the project and raised questions as to whether the loan would be repaid as envisaged and whether the project reflected value for money,” Mpaka told Parliament, pointing to critical gaps in public finance management.
Legislators noted that engaging private operators has drained resources that should otherwise service the loan used to finance the road. To rectify these leakages, the committee recommended that the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) take over toll collections immediately. Lawmakers want the URA to introduce an electronic payment system, routing all collections directly into an account dedicated exclusively to servicing the Expressway loan.
Scrutiny of Pinnacle Security Contract and Calls for Prosecution
The parliamentary inquiry expanded beyond operational inefficiencies into accountability for past administrative decisions. Lawmakers trained their focus on a contract extension granted to Pinnacle Security Limited, valued at a reported Shs36 billion.
“The committee calls for investigations into the management of the Expressway including a forensic audit of its operations and revenue collections and scrutiny of the extension of a contract with Pinnacle Security Limited at a reported Shs36 billion,” Mpaka stated during the session.
Further implicating former top officials, Mpaka asserted that the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works and Transport bypassed mandatory legal oversight by issuing the one-year security contract extension without securing approval from the Attorney General, contrary to Article 119(5) of the Constitution. Consequently, the committee recommended that the former accounting officer and board of the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) face investigation and prosecution for allegedly failing to exercise their oversight role.
Rakai District MP Hon. Juliet Kyinyamatama described the absence of comprehensive audits over the years as a “big shocker,” backing the call for a forensic audit before executing operational terminations. Similarly, Gulu City Woman Representative Hon. Betty Aol Ochan emphasized that weak systems and excessive reliance on cash payments bleed state revenue, arguing that digital payments will help to reduce the losses.
Debating Government Capacity and Oversight Mechanisms
Leader of the Opposition Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi cautioned that the administration must first establish whether the Ministry of Works and Transport possesses the capacity to manage it.
Bukuya County MP Hon. Michael Bukenya demanded the immediate suspension of current operations while investigations are conducted. Meanwhile, Kassanda County North MP Hon. Patrick Oshabe urged the Auditor General to adopt the committee’s findings as a model for future audits of public entities.
Following requests by Works Minister Hon. Fred Byamukama and Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja for more time to study the report, Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth ruled that the full House will consider the recommendations on Thursday, 27 August 2026.