Nakawa West MP and Kampala lord mayor-elect Eng Ronald Balimwezo has vowed to push for improved standards in road construction across Kampala, warning that he will reject substandard projects.
Speaking during Parliament’s Presidential Affairs committee meeting to scrutinise the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) ministerial policy statement for the 2026/27 financial year, Balimwezo singled out Spring road as an example of poor workmanship.
“The state of some roads is appalling; there are deep potholes, and it is disheartening. As lord mayor-elect, I will not accept the handover of roads done in such an unacceptable manner,” he said.
Balimwezo, who recently toured several project sites with officials from the Works ministry, blamed weak supervision and lax contract enforcement, noting that some projects remain incomplete despite missing deadlines.
He also raised concerns about what he described as systemic mismanagement of public assets, warning that KCCA risks losing land worth billions of shillings. He cited alleged encroachment on Kololo Secondary School playgrounds and threats to land in Naguru–Nakawa and Matope grounds, which he said were only saved through intervention by local leaders.
Road reserves, including Kataza Ring road, have also reportedly been subdivided and encroached upon.
“The root of the problem is the lack of a proper property inventory system,” Balimwezo said.
“Parliament must ring-fence funds for a comprehensive asset register to safeguard public land.” KCCA deputy executive director Benon Moses Kigenyi acknowledged the challenges but said performance has improved beyond the mid-year figures.
He explained that the widely cited four per cent road completion rate reflected performance as of December 31, 2025, adding that updated figures show better progress.
Kigenyi said KCCA has upgraded 4.6 kilometres of roads using in-house capacity, though this remains modest compared to Kampala’s 2,100-kilometre road network, of which only about 775 kilometres are paved, many in deteriorating condition.
He also cited structural constraints, including unfunded mass transit plans such as bus rapid transit, light rail and monorail systems.
“We have the plans in place, but we are still awaiting financing from the government and development partners,” he said.
State minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs Kabuye Kyofatogabye identified road management, waste management and city cleanliness as Kampala’s most pressing challenges.
He attributed delays in road projects to relocation of utilities such as water pipes, electricity lines and sewer systems, which he said can consume up to three months of project timelines. He also acknowledged a shortage of land for public infrastructure following years of public land sales.
“Going forward, the government will prioritise land acquisition for public infrastructure,” Kyofatogabye said.
The minister also pledged stricter enforcement measures to restore order in the city, including banning illegal street vending and restricting taxis to gazetted parks.
“Kampala must become a well-planned, orderly city,” he said.
The scrutiny comes as KCCA prepares to implement its largest budget yet, with Shs 1.058 trillion allocated for the 2026/27 financial year, representing a 15.5 per cent increase from the previous year.
Under the plan, aligned to the Public Finance Management Act and the Fourth National Development Plan, KCCA will prioritise completion of 29.15 kilometres of roads under the Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project, construction of 35.99 kilometres of additional roads, expansion of waste management capacity to more than 547,500 tonnes annually, rehabilitation of 523 acres of green spaces and planting of 10,000 trees.
The authority also plans health infrastructure upgrades, including construction of a 60-bed maternity ward at Kiswa. Despite increased funding, performance indicators remain mixed.
Citizen satisfaction stands at 48.98 per cent, while budget absorption reached 57.6 per cent by mid-year 2025/26. In the 2024/25 financial year, only 42.83 per cent of paved roads were in good condition, while solid waste management fell short of targets following the collapse of the Kitezi landfill.
