Govt Begins Evictions, Structure Removal Ahead of Kampala–Jinja Expressway Works

Authorities have launched enforcement operations to clear the expressway corridor as government pushes ahead with the delayed multibillion-shilling Kampala–Jinja Expressway project.

The government has commenced enforcement operations to clear the right of way for the long-awaited Kampala–Jinja Expressway project, with authorities moving to remove structures and other obstructions along the planned corridor.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of Works and Transport said enforcement teams were already on the ground overseeing the exercise.

“The Ministry of Works and Transport enforcement team is carrying out enforcement activities to clear the right of way for the upcoming Kampala–Jinja Expressway project,” the ministry said.

The ministry added that some affected residents and property owners had started voluntarily complying with the directive by dismantling structures and relocating vehicles from affected areas.

“Some affected occupants are also voluntarily removing structures and vehicles in compliance with the directive,” the statement added.

The Kampala–Jinja Expressway is one of Uganda’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, intended to ease chronic traffic congestion along the busy highway linking Kampala to eastern Uganda and neighbouring countries.

The proposed 95-kilometre expressway is expected to run from the Kampala Southern Bypass at Munyonyo to Jinja, with sections designed as eight-lane, six-lane and four-lane carriageways depending on projected traffic demand.

Project estimates place the cost between $1.1 billion and $1.55 billion, approximately Shs4 trillion to Shs5 trillion, making it among Uganda’s most expensive road infrastructure undertakings.

The project is structured under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, with financing expected from private investors alongside support from development partners including the African Development Bank, the French Development Agency and grants from the European Union.

Despite repeated government announcements over the years, the expressway has remained largely stuck in planning and procurement stages amid financing disagreements and bureaucratic delays.

Earlier this year, Parliament questioned officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport over the prolonged delay, with reports indicating that the project had stalled for nearly two years because of funding uncertainties and operational challenges.

President Yoweri Museveni previously directed the ministry against external borrowing for the project, instead pushing for PPP financing and internally generated funding options, a position that has complicated implementation timelines.

Even as preparations for the expressway continue, authorities have maintained rehabilitation works on the existing Kampala–Jinja highway, which motorists have long criticised over heavy congestion, deteriorating road sections and long travel times.