How poor planning derailed the Busega–Mpigi expressway project

Originally expected to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity along Uganda’s Northern Corridor by 2021, the Busega–Mpigi Expressway has instead become a costly lesson in poor project preparation, delays, and escalating public expenditure. The project involves the construction of a 26.959-kilometre dual carriageway, including 21.3 kilometres of link roads, 13 bridges, box culverts, and four...

Originally expected to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity along Uganda’s Northern Corridor by 2021, the Busega–Mpigi Expressway has instead become a costly lesson in poor project preparation, delays, and escalating public expenditure.

The project involves the construction of a 26.959-kilometre dual carriageway, including 21.3 kilometres of link roads, 13 bridges, box culverts, and four toll plazas. It was initially budgeted at UGX 547.543 billion and jointly financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF), and the Government of Uganda. Construction officially commenced on November 22, 2019, with an anticipated completion period of 30 months, ending in December 2021.

However, persistent implementation challenges have significantly delayed delivery. According to the Auditor General’s 2024 report, the project contract was signed in June 2019 without finalized detailed designs or engineers’ estimates. This premature contracting created fundamental weaknesses that later translated into extensive design reviews, scope variations, and delays.

As a result, the project completion date has been revised multiple times. The current contractual end date stands at December 31, 2025, representing a 44-month extension, while the latest government projections indicate possible completion by September 2027. The Ministry of Finance’s July–February 2025 performance report on externally funded projects attributes the delays to late payments, incomplete right-of-way acquisition, prolonged design reviews, and intermittent funding shortfalls.

The financial consequences have been substantial. Project costs rose from the original UGX 547.543 billion to approximately UGX 1.35 trillion by March 2024. In November 2025, Parliament approved an additional UGX 898.5 billion loan to address financing gaps, pushing the total estimated project cost to UGX 1.446 trillion—more than double the original budget and representing a 64.1 percent increase.

Beyond construction costs, the government has incurred additional financial penalties. Between March 2018 and March 2024, Uganda paid approximately USD 1.55 million (about UGX 5.444 billion) in commitment fees on undisbursed loans, alongside interest charges arising from administrative delays. These costs reflect inefficiencies in project readiness, where borrowed funds remained idle while preparatory activities were retroactively undertaken.

The broader implications extend beyond fiscal overruns. Delays in completing the expressway have denied road users the anticipated improvements in travel time, safety, and logistics efficiency. At the same time, public resources tied up in stalled infrastructure projects limit government capacity to finance other critical social and economic services.

With additional financing now secured, there remains an opportunity to recover lost ground. Timely completion will depend on finalizing all outstanding designs, fully clearing the right of way, and enforcing strict compliance with Public Investment Management guidelines. If these measures are effectively implemented, the project could still be delivered by September 2027 with improved accountability and value for money.

The Busega–Mpigi Expressway underscores a critical lesson for Uganda’s infrastructure development agenda: rigorous upfront planning, complete feasibility studies, and readiness assessments are not optional. Without them, ambitious projects risk becoming prolonged and expensive burdens on taxpayers rather than engines of national development.