The Ugandan government has suspended construction on at least 27 major Uganda road construction suspended projects nationwide. This decision stems from a severe cash shortage, with a funding gap of Shs2.472 trillion impacting the national roads programme. Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, the Works and Transport minister, detailed these suspensions while briefing Parliament.
During the budgeting cycle, the ministry requested Shs3.153 trillion but received only Shs682 billion. This allocation represents merely 22 percent of the required funding, leaving a significant shortfall. Consequently, Uganda road construction suspended efforts reflect the government’s struggle to meet infrastructure financial obligations.
According to Gen Wamala, the primary cause of suspended works is the non-payment of contractors. By the end of July 2025, the department managed 28 road upgrading projects, 10 road rehabilitation projects, and 11 bridge construction projects. The funding gap has forced the ministry to slow progress significantly.
“Against this requirement, only Shs682b has been allocated under the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), leaving a financing gap of Shs 2.472 trillion,” Gen Wamala stated. The ministry had planned to use Shs2.082 trillion for ongoing works and land acquisition. Additionally, Shs1.071 trillion was needed for arrears, accumulating commercial interest, and monthly cost claims from contractors.
The Uganda road construction suspended situation affects both government-funded and externally financed projects. Eighteen fully government-funded projects face suspension or slowdowns due to delayed payments. Nine externally financed projects experience delays primarily because the government cannot provide timely counterpart funding.
Land acquisition issues worsen the Uganda road construction suspended crisis. Shs443 billion is needed for compensation and site access, grounding externally funded projects. The cumulative effect includes slow resource absorption, financial claims exposure, asset deterioration risks, and reputational concerns.
This funding decline continues a troubling trend throughout the National Development Plan period. Government contributions dropped from Shs1.86 trillion in FY2020/2021 to Shs682 billion in FY2024/2025. This represents only 20 percent of the NDPIII target for that year. Sustained underinvestment has resulted in certified debt accumulation, project stalls, and road network deterioration.
Among the affected roads are the Masindi-Biiso and Kabale-Kiziranfumbi projects. These projects alone hold Shs111 billion in unpaid contractor fees. Other fully suspended projects include Najjanankumbi-Busabala Road, Moroto-Lokitanyala Road, Mityana-Mubende Road, and the 72km Kampala-Jinja Highway.
Partial payments in Quarter Four of FY2024/2025 proved insufficient to restore full project momentum. Most contractors have not resumed full operations. Consequently, most project sites remain partially mobilized or idle. As of July 2025, 27 projects face either full suspension or significant progress reduction.
Key bridge projects also experience constrained progress. These include Katonga Bridge, Lwera and Kalandazi swamp crossings on Masaka Road, and Upper Katonga Bridge on Kabulasoke-Villa Maria Road. The funding shortfall of Shs2.472 trillion has far-reaching consequences for the national roads programme.
The impacts manifest across land acquisition, ongoing project performance, the paved road network, and gravel road maintenance. Gen Wamala warned that these disruptions compromise Uganda’s ability to deliver critical national infrastructure and maintain the existing network.
Maintenance costs are escalating rapidly. Periodic maintenance intervention costs Shs888 million per kilometre. However, rehabilitation costs approximately Shs2.59 billion per kilometre, about three times the periodic maintenance costs. Severe degradation prevents periodic maintenance on 1,993km of road.
Deterioration of these roads into the rehabilitation category would cause preventable fiscal losses up to Shs850 billion. This figure excludes direct costs for road users, such as vehicle maintenance. Neglecting roads earmarked for rehabilitation pushes them into the reconstruction category, costing Shs3.70 billion per kilometre. Failure to address just 100km of rehabilitation-ready roads could impose an added burden of Shs111 billion.
Uganda’s national gravel road network, spanning over 14,000km, faces significant pressure. Poor funding and recurring climatic shocks contribute to this strain. While 48 percent of gravel roads are in good condition, 35 percent are fair, and 17 percent are poor.
The Works ministry blames unreliable fund releases for grading and spot improvements. Depletion of gravel materials in high-demand districts also contributes. Infrastructure degradation due to flooding, landslides, and prolonged wet seasons worsens conditions. Without predictable funding and mechanization support, rural access and road connectivity will likely deteriorate further.
Gen Wamala proposed several solutions to address the Uganda road construction suspended crisis. He urged the government to prioritize and ring-fence funding for periodic maintenance. Clearing certified arrears and managing contractor demobilisation are also critical. Averting accumulation of commercial interests remains a priority.
“The most economically prudent intervention is to protect roads still in maintainable condition,” Gen Wamala emphasized. “Periodic maintenance should be prioritized and ring-fenced in the FY2025/2026 to prevent 1,993km from degrading into higher-cost rehabilitation or reconstruction categories. This alone could avert fiscal losses of over Shs850b.”
He added: “Restore momentum on suspended or slowed-down sites; priority should be placed on fully suspended government-funded projects such as Mityana-Mubende, Kampala-Jinja, and the Busega-Mpigi Expressway, among others.”
The ministry recommends clearing a substantial portion of the Shs1.071 trillion in arrears early in the financial year. Land acquisition remains a constraint for both donor and government-funded projects. An immediate allocation of at least Shs843 billion is required in FY2025/2026 to enable site access and avoid contract breaches.
After the Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) merger, the Department of National Roads assumed management of all ongoing roadworks. During the parliamentary sitting, the House did not debate the matter since responsible ministers from the Ministry of Finance were absent.
The funding shortfall of Shs2.472 trillion has triggered project suspensions, delayed land acquisition, accumulated arrears, and increased fiscal exposure. The national paved network now experiences a backlog of 2,460km requiring urgent intervention. Without decisive action, an additional 300km to 500km may deteriorate to costlier intervention levels within a single year.
Reacting to the minister’s statement, the Government Chief Whip informed the House that responsible ministers were away on official engagements. The Speaker of Parliament tasked the Chief Whip to take responsibility while deferring further debate on the report.
Uganda’s road network is a critical national asset underpinning economic growth and service delivery. Its total replacement value is estimated at Shs37.4 trillion. However, underfunding and deferred maintenance have already depreciated this value by Shs10.5 trillion, with further deterioration forecasted.
Uganda’s national road network currently consists of approximately 21,292km. Of this, 6,312.1km are paved, and the remaining 14,980km are unpaved. According to the latest technical assessment, 2,460km require urgent intervention while 207km have deteriorated to full reconstruction level.
