KIIRA MOTORS IN THE SLOW LANE! Investigation Exposes Musasizi & Team as Billions Flow but Only Five Cars Roll Out
What has been hailed as Uganda’s bold leap into automotive manufacturing is now under intense scrutiny after damning revelations exposed glaring inefficiencies, questionable procurement decisions and a shocking mismatch between funding and output at Kiira Motors Corporation. At the centre is CEO Paul Isaac Musasizi, alongside Executive Chairman Sandy Stevens Tickodri-Togboa and General Counsel David Mpanga, all now facing tough questions over the corporation’s performance.
According to the auditor general’s 2025 report, the numbers alone paint a troubling picture. Despite the Kiira Vehicle Plant being reported as “98% complete with a high installed annual capacity,” production remains painfully low. “KMC planned to produce 30 vehicles, but assembled 10, and only 5 were fully completed during the FY 2024/25,” the report states, laying bare a massive gap between ambition and reality.
Inside sources describe a facility that looks impressive on paper but struggles to deliver in practice. “We have the infrastructure, we have the funding, but the output is nowhere near what was promised,” a concerned insider revealed to Red Pepper.
Director Production Albert Akovuku now finds himself under pressure to explain why a near-complete plant is producing at a fraction of its capacity.
The situation is further compounded by the slow rollout of Uganda’s National E-mobility Strategy. The report notes “low implementation… with limited rollout of mass transit e-mobility and no penetration in Kampala,” a revelation that has raised eyebrows given the capital’s urgent need for modern transport solutions. “How do you talk about electric mobility when the biggest city has zero presence?” a transport analyst questioned, pointing directly at Director Product Development Richard Madanda.
Procurement processes have also come under fire. In one instance, consultancy services worth UGX.153.3 million attracted only two bidders out of seven invited, raising concerns about competitiveness and transparency. But it is the direct procurement of a Company Secretary that has sparked the loudest outrage. The report states, “The Corporation directly procured a Company Secretary at an annual cost of UGX.108Mn, despite obtaining lower quotations from other firms. I further noted that the contract was signed after the bid validity had expired.”
That controversial contract has placed David Mpanga in the spotlight, with critics questioning how such a decision could be justified in a public institution. “You ignore cheaper options and still sign a contract late? That raises serious governance concerns,” an observer noted.
Financially, KMC appears well-supported, receiving 97.56% of its budget, amounting to UGX.67.86 billion out of the planned UGX.69.56 billion. But despite this near-full funding, the results tell a different story.
“I noted that whereas there was high absorption of funds, there was partial implementation of key result areas,” the auditor general’s report reveals. In fact, KMC utilised UGX.62.60 billion, representing 92.2% of available funds, yet only fully implemented two key result areas worth UGX.26.16 billion, while two others worth UGX.20.25 billion were only partially delivered.
“It’s a classic case of spending without matching impact,” a financial analyst said bluntly. “The money is being used, but the outcomes are not reflecting the investment.”
Strategic planning gaps have also emerged, with the corporation failing to align itself with national frameworks in time. The report highlights that “KMC had not finalised its new business plan aligned to NDP IV by the start date (1 July 2025),” raising concerns about long-term direction and coordination with government priorities.
Even in areas where compliance exists, performance remains average at best. The National Planning Authority rated KMC’s alignment with NDP III outputs at just 72%, signalling what the report describes as “moderate compliance.”
As pressure mounts, critics argue that the disconnect between funding, planning and actual delivery is too glaring to ignore. “This was supposed to be Uganda’s flagship manufacturing project, but what we are seeing is underperformance at multiple levels,” an industry insider remarked.
With only five fully completed vehicles to show for billions spent and a nearly complete plant, the spotlight is now firmly on Paul Isaac Musasizi and his leadership team to explain whether Kiira Motors is truly driving Uganda forward—or simply idling while opportunities pass by.
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