President Yoweri Museveni has dismissed six engineers from the Ministry of Works and Transport over irregularities and persistent delays in the implementation of the Busega-Mpigi Expressway and several other major road projects.
The revelation was made by the Minister of Works and Transport, Fred Byamukama, while appearing before Parliament, where he disclosed that the President had signed letters dismissing the engineers on Monday morning.
“As I was leaving my office this morning, I saw a letter from the President sacking six engineers, including a few I am seeing on this front bench here. Sacking them, not even interdicting, they should go. These are accused on projects of Busega Mpigi, Mubende Fort Portal Road, Masaka Mutukula and many other projects,” Byamukama said.
The Busega-Mpigi Expressway project has been affected by delays, financial mismanagement, disputes over compensation and concerns about value for money. Reports indicated that the project’s cost has risen to approximately Shs1.3 trillion following additional financing from the African Development Bank to cover revised construction costs and compensation.
The dismissals follow the investigations into alleged financial mismanagement, fraudulent compensation claims and poor contract management surrounding the Busega Mpigi Expressway, a flagship road project that has faced repeated delays despite massive government investment.
The minister said the President had taken a firm stance against officials suspected of frustrating the implementation of public infrastructure projects, noting that investigations were already being conducted by the Inspectorate of Government, with more officials expected to face accountability.
“The people who were suspected were implicated. That is why you saw the Permanent Secretary being interdicted. We have a number of engineers recording statements at the Inspectorate of Government and even those who left government but were involved are being investigated. The President has guided that they all have to be checked and worked on,” he said.
Byamukama said the Ministry had embarked on sweeping reforms aimed at eliminating the loopholes that have contributed to project delays and inflated costs.
“We have had several meetings in the ministry on how to move in a new direction, especially to avoid over-committing the government. We have agreed that no road contract will be signed unless at least 50 per cent of the required right of way has been acquired. However, the President has guided that even 50 per cent is not enough and it should be increased to 75 per cent,” he noted.
He also faulted irregular payment practices that have left contractors financially constrained and unable to deliver projects on schedule.
“You find that someone submitted a payment certificate last year and has never been paid, while another person brings a certificate after only two weeks and gets paid immediately. Those irregularities suffocate contractors because they fail to access the money needed to continue with the works,” he said.
The minister further blamed weaknesses in contract administration and delays in approving engineering designs for escalating project costs through compensation claims and contractor penalties.
“You find a project awarded at about Shs500 billion, but before long almost half of that money is consumed through engineers’ claims. Some deliberately delay approving designs, knowing that contractors will later claim compensation, and in the process they benefit through kickbacks. That is the improper way we have been operating,” he added.
He added that the Ministry had resolved to leave investigations to the relevant agencies while focusing on restoring integrity and efficiency in project implementation.
“We are not considering the corrupt. We are here to deliver our mandate. We leave the past to investigators and our supervisors in Parliament, but we are setting a new pace to ensure that we move forward.”
The dismissals follow an earlier directive by President Museveni ordering investigations into the management of the Busega-Mpigi Expressway after concerns emerged over the utilisation of funds borrowed from the African Development Bank.
In a June 26, 2026 letter to Inspector General of Government Lady Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala, the President questioned how the government had spent the entire Shs600 billion initially borrowed for the 23-kilometre expressway and its 20-kilometre access roads despite only about 40 per cent of the construction having been completed.
“The government borrowed Shs600 billion from the African Development Bank to complete the expressway 100 per cent. As of now only about 40 per cent of the work has been done but all the money was paid. What happened?” Museveni wrote.
The President also alleged that some engineers had altered the original road alignment to pass through land in which they had personal interests, resulting in fresh compensation claims despite the original route already having been compensated.
“The corrupt engineers altered the route of the road and avoided the route that was already compensated for and charted a new route going through their own lands that needed fresh compensation,” Museveni stated.
Following the directive, the Inspectorate of Government ordered the suspension of Engineers Edwin Raymond Kiyaga and Dickens Ahimbisibwe to facilitate investigations into the embezzlement of funds earmarked for the expressway. Engineer Patrick Muleme was also named in the President’s directive, while Permanent Secretary Waiswa Bageya was instructed to step aside, with Under Secretary Barbara Namugambe appointed Acting Permanent Secretary.
The suspended officials were ordered to hand over all government property and official documents, barred from accessing ministry offices without authorisation and directed to remain available throughout the investigations.
The Inspectorate of Government commended the Ministry of Works and Transport for promptly implementing the suspension directives, describing the action as a demonstration of commitment to accountability and good governance.
