The Inspector General of Government (IGG) has cleared Ministry of Works and Transport Permanent Secretary Bageya Waiswa of wrongdoing in the escalation of costs for the Busoga-Mpigi Expressway project, while ordering the immediate interdiction of Commissioner for National Roads Engineer Isaac Wani pending investigations into his alleged involvement.
In a press statement dated October 23, 2026, the IGG, Lady Justice Naluzze Aisha Batala, said investigations established that Bageya was not involved in the earlier decisions that resulted in the increase in the project’s construction costs, allowing him to resume work.
The findings indicate that the project was transferred from the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to the Ministry of Works and Transport in 2024 following the government’s rationalisation of agencies and public expenditure.
According to the IGG, Bageya initiated technical audits, funding approval and procurement processes intended to get the project back on track after it was transferred to his ministry.
“The project was transferred to the Ministry of Works and Transport in 2024 from the Uganda National Roads Authority following the Rationalisation of Government Agencies and Public Expenditure exercise,”the statement said.
The Inspectorate subsequently cleared Bageya of any wrongdoing and communicated its findings to the Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, Ruth Nakyobe Mbonyi.
The decision distinguishes Bageya’s actions after the transfer of the project from the earlier decisions that led to the cost escalation.
While Bageya has been cleared, Wani has been ordered to step aside from his position as Commissioner for National Roads to allow investigations into his alleged involvement in the increase in the project’s costs.
The IGG said investigations established that Wani was the Director of Network Planning and Engineering at the defunct UNRA when the costs of constructing the expressway were escalated.
“The IGG has directed the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Transport to immediately interdict Eng. Isaac Wani, the Commissioner for National Roads, to pave the way for investigations into his alleged involvement in the escalation of the costs of the same project,”the statement said.
The interdiction is intended to allow the investigations to proceed without possible interference. It does not amount to a final finding of wrongdoing against Wani, whose alleged involvement remains under investigation.
The permanent secretary has also been directed to make interim arrangements to ensure the uninterrupted performance of the office during Wani’s interdiction.
The IGG cited Article 230(2) of the 1995 Constitution and Section 13(6) of the Inspectorate of Government Act, Cap 32, as the legal basis for its authority to issue orders and directions in the course of its duties.
The law provides that the Inspector General of Government may, during the course of official duties or as a consequence of findings, make orders and give directions considered necessary and appropriate in the circumstances.
The statement further explained that public interest requires an officer under investigation to be suspended from exercising the powers and functions of their office where necessary to prevent interference with the investigations.
The directive allows investigators to examine Wani’s alleged role while temporary administrative arrangements are made to maintain the operations of the Ministry of Works and Transport.
The Busoga-Mpigi Expressway project has faced delays, rising construction costs and questions over project planning, funding and implementation.
The Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending June 2024 documented an increase in the original civil works contract, valued at Shs547.5 billion, to an estimated Shs1.35 trillion by March 2023. The report attributed the increase in part to inadequate detailed designs at the time of contracting.
The audit also found that the original funds for civil works had been exhausted by May 2024, when physical progress stood at 40.86 per cent. By July 2024, progress had reached 42.28 per cent, below the projected 52.30 per cent, while the completion date had been extended to September 2027.
In March 2026, Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure questioned the increase in the project’s contract price. Ministry officials attributed the higher costs to design changes, revised road alignments, interchanges, and connecting roads.
The IGG later conducted a site inspection on July 27, 2026, to assess the status of the 23-kilometre expressway and its access roads and gather evidence concerning the cost escalation.
The Inspectorate said it was examining whether the increase from approximately Shs600 billion to Shs1.3 trillion was justified and in the public interest.
The directive comes against a background of years of delays and rising costs on the project. While the IGG has cleared Bageya of the earlier decisions that led to the escalation, investigations into Wani’s alleged involvement are continuing.
