The Road to Ruin — How Ministry of Works Officials Slept on the Job Costing Billions in Public Funds

When the government of Uganda allocated billions of shillings for the rehabilitation of trunk roads in 2024, the public expected smoother journeys, reduced transport costs, and a boost to trade.

Instead, two years later, potholes remain, bridges are crumbling, and the funds have vanished into a bureaucratic fog. At the center of this scandal lies the Ministry of Works and Transport, whose officials stand accused of negligence, incompetence, and outright dereliction of duty.

The Auditor General’s report for 2025 revealed that over Shs 42 billion earmarked for road works was either unspent or misapplied. Contractors were paid advances without mobilizing equipment, supervision teams failed to visit sites, and procurement officers signed off on contracts that violated basic financial regulations. Yet, despite these glaring failures, senior officials continued to draw their salaries and allowances, seemingly oblivious to the suffering of ordinary Ugandans.

One glaring example is the Masaka–Mbarara highway project, budgeted at Shs 18 billion. The contract was awarded to a little‑known firm with no track record in heavy civil works. Ministry engineers signed off on the award, ignoring warnings from the Public Procurement Authority. Predictably, the company abandoned the site after pocketing mobilization funds. For months, the road lay in disrepair, forcing traders to divert goods through longer, costlier routes. The Ministry’s response was lethargic: no penalties were enforced, no recovery of funds attempted, and no official sanctioned.

Insiders whisper that the problem is not just corruption but complacency. “The engineers were asleep,” one whistle‑blower told investigators. “They rarely visited sites, and when they did, they signed inspection forms without checking progress. It was easier to tick boxes than to confront contractors.” This culture of indifference has cost the taxpayer dearly. By the time the scandal broke, more than Shs 10 billion had been lost on ghost projects.

The negligence extended beyond engineers. Senior administrators in the Ministry approved payments without verifying completion certificates. Accountants processed vouchers for projects that existed only on paper. Even the Permanent Secretary, tasked with overall oversight, failed to demand accountability from subordinates. The result was a systemic breakdown where everyone looked the other way while public funds evaporated.

The tragedy is that ordinary Ugandans are paying the price. Farmers in western Uganda struggle to transport produce to markets because roads remain impassable. Schoolchildren wade through mud to reach classrooms. Ambulances break down en route to hospitals. Each pothole is a reminder of officials who chose comfort over duty.

Critics argue that the Ministry’s officials are scapegoating junior engineers recently suspended by the President. While these young professionals may have signed documents, the real decisions were made higher up. Contracts were cleared by directors, payments authorized by accountants, and procurement endorsed by committees chaired by senior bureaucrats. To punish engineers alone is to ignore the chain of responsibility. As one analyst put it, “The engineers are paying for the sins of their bosses.”

The scandal has sparked outrage in Parliament, where legislators accuse the Ministry of betraying public trust. Calls for a forensic audit are growing louder, with demands that senior officials be prosecuted. Civil society groups have joined the chorus, insisting that recovery of funds must be prioritized. Yet, the Ministry remains defensive, issuing bland statements about “capacity challenges” and “unforeseen delays.”

Uganda’s development agenda cannot survive such negligence. Roads are lifelines of commerce, and their collapse undermines every sector from agriculture to health. The Ministry of Works must wake up from its slumber, enforce accountability, and restore public confidence. Otherwise, the road to ruin will stretch endlessly, paved with the potholes of ruin.