BUSEGA ROAD SCANDAL! IGG Frees Works PS Bageya, Orders Interdiction of Ex-UNRA Key Man Engineer Wani

The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Lady Justice Naluzze Aisha Batala, has cleared the Ministry of Works and Transport Permanent Secretary, Waiswa Bageya, of wrongdoing in the escalation of costs of the Busega–Mpigi Expressway.

She has instead ordered the interdiction of Commissioner for National Roads Engineer Isaac Wani pending investigations into his alleged role in the controversy.

In a press statement dated October 23, 2026, the Inspectorate of Government (IG) said investigations established that Bageya was not involved in the earlier decisions that resulted in the project’s cost escalation.

The IGG has consequently directed the Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, Ruth Nakyobe Mbonye, to allow Bageya to resume work.

The investigations reportedly established that Wani was serving as Director of Network Planning and Engineering at the defunct Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) when the decisions that led to the escalation of the project’s costs were made.

The IGG has directed Bageya to immediately interdict Wani to pave the way for further investigations into his alleged involvement in the cost escalation.

The Permanent Secretary has also been directed to make interim arrangements to ensure the uninterrupted discharge of the office’s responsibilities during Wani’s interdiction.

The Busega–Mpigi Expressway is a major road infrastructure project intended to ease congestion along the Kampala–Masaka highway and improve connections between Kampala and western Uganda.

The project comprises a four-lane expressway stretching approximately 23.7 kilometres, alongside access roads and supporting infrastructure. The expanded design includes interchanges, bridges, drainage systems and tolling facilities.

According to the Auditor General, UNRA signed a construction contract worth Shs547.543 billion on June 18, 2019, before adequate detailed designs and engineers’ estimates had been completed to support the contract amount.

The project’s estimated cost subsequently rose to Shs1.35 trillion by March 2023, a development the Auditor General attributed to inadequate design preparations at the time the contract was awarded.

The Works and Transport Ministry has also attributed the increase to changes in the road’s design and scope, including realignment, additional interchanges and other infrastructure.

The cost is now expected to rise to approximately Shs2 trillion when the project and associated additional works are completed, according to Works Minister Fred Byamukama. The ministry has said the expressway itself is estimated at about Shs1.3 trillion, while a proposed Busega Systems Interchange could require a further Shs700 billion.

Although the construction contract was signed in 2019, construction works commenced in 2020 after delays associated with project preparations and approvals.

The project was initially expected to be completed in 2023, but the deadline has repeatedly been extended because of funding constraints, land acquisition and compensation disputes, design changes and delayed payments to the contractor.

The Auditor General’s report for the financial year ended June 2024 showed that the original funds available for civil works had been exhausted by May 2024, when physical progress stood at only 40.86 per cent. By the end of June 2024, certified works worth Shs30.8 billion remained unpaid.

The project subsequently stalled because of funding constraints, with construction works resuming in 2026 after additional financing was secured.

In October 2025, Parliament approved additional financing of approximately Shs781 billion from the African Development Bank and Shs117 billion from the African Development Fund to facilitate completion of the expanded project.

By June 2026, physical progress had reached 47.15 per cent, according to figures presented by the Ministry of Works and Transport to Parliament. The ministry has indicated that completion is now expected by December 2028, although officials have cautioned that further delays remain possible.

The project has attracted scrutiny over allegations that changes to the original road alignment and design contributed to rising costs and additional compensation claims.

In July 2026, the IGG conducted an on-site inspection to establish the circumstances surrounding the redesign and the increase in the project’s estimated cost from approximately Shs600 billion to Shs1.3 trillion.

The Inspectorate said the inspection was intended to gather evidence to support investigations into the alleged embezzlement of funds allocated to the expressway and its access roads.

The inquiry has also examined whether changes to the road alignment and project scope were properly authorised and whether they were justified by the project’s engineering requirements.

The government has previously raised concerns that sections of the road were redirected through swampy areas, resulting in additional engineering works and compensation obligations. These concerns remain subject to investigation.