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By Andrew Irumba Katusabe
Just days after President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni publicly expressed frustration over the prolonged delay of the Mityana–Fort Portal road during his State of the Nation Address (SONA), newly appointed Minister of Works and Transport Fred Byamukama has wasted no time demonstrating a hands-on leadership style by storming the project site and issuing a stern ultimatum to the contractor.
Byamukama on Thursday inspected the troubled Mityana–Mubende Road project and directed Serbian contractor EnergoProjekt to complete the long-stalled road by March 2027 or risk having its contract terminated.
The minister’s intervention has been widely viewed as a strong signal that the Works Ministry under his stewardship intends to move beyond boardroom discussions and focus on practical supervision of government infrastructure projects.
Unlike officials who often rely on reports from Kampala, Byamukama chose to personally assess progress on the ground, a move that has already earned him praise from stakeholders who have for years watched the strategically important road remain in a perpetual state of delay.
A seasoned politician and administrator, Byamukama has built a reputation for direct engagement and field-based leadership. His immediate response to one of Uganda’s most controversial road projects suggests an eagerness to confront long-standing bottlenecks that have frustrated both government and road users.
During the inspection, the minister did not mince words.
He warned EnergoProjekt that government’s patience was running out and emphasized that continued delays would no longer be tolerated.
He further pledged a comprehensive crackdown on corruption within the engineering and contracting sectors, noting that graft had significantly undermined the timely delivery and quality of major infrastructure projects across the country.
His remarks echoed concerns raised by President Museveni during last week’s SONA address, where the Head of State singled out the Mityana–Mubende-Fort Portal Road among projects whose delayed completion had raised serious questions.
Museveni openly alluded to possible corruption and pledged to investigate the matter to its logical conclusion, signaling growing dissatisfaction at the highest levels of government.
The president’s comments have reignited public debate about allegations that have surrounded the project for years.
Among the most vocal critics has been renowned Kampala lawyer Friday Kagoro of Muwema & Co. Advocates, who previously dragged both government and EnergoProjekt to court over what he described as serious irregularities in the procurement and financing of the project.
Kagoro challenged the circumstances under which the contractor secured the contract and raised questions regarding the disbursement and utilization of project funds.
The legal battle culminated in a court victory for Kagoro, a development that significantly amplified scrutiny of the project and increased pressure on both government officials and the contractor.
For years, the lawyer has maintained that the road’s troubles were not merely technical or administrative but potentially rooted in systemic corruption.
In one of his court submissions, Kagoro alleged that EnergoProjekt had received payments amounting to nearly 90 percent of the contract value while only a fraction of the actual work had been executed on the ground.
He reportedly argued that physical progress at the time stood at barely 10 percent, raising serious concerns about accountability and value for money.
The advocate questioned how such substantial payments could have been released despite limited progress, suggesting that the circumstances warranted thorough investigations.
Interestingly, Museveni’s recent comments appeared to lend credibility to concerns long advanced by Kagoro.
By publicly acknowledging allegations of corruption and promising investigations, the President effectively echoed issues that the lawyer has persistently raised in court and public discourse.
For Kagoro, the matter is also personal.
A native of Bunyangabu District in the Tooro sub-region, he is among thousands of western Uganda residents who depend on the Mityana–Mubende corridor and have endured years of inconvenience caused by the road’s deteriorating condition and delayed reconstruction.
The Mityana–Mubende Road serves as a critical gateway linking Kampala to western Uganda and neighboring countries, making its completion vital for trade, tourism, and regional connectivity.
Yet despite multiple promises and substantial financial commitments over the years, progress has remained painfully slow, turning the project into one of Uganda’s most cited examples of infrastructure delays.
As pressure mounts from the President, the courts, affected communities and now a newly energized Works Minister, EnergoProjekt finds itself under unprecedented scrutiny.
Whether Byamukama’s firm stance will finally break the cycle of delays remains to be seen, but his swift deployment to the project site has undoubtedly sent a clear message: the era of endless excuses may be coming to an end.
For many frustrated road users, that message is long overdue.
, https://www.spyuganda.com/mityana-fort-portal-road-minister-byamukama-issues-one-year-tough-ultimatum/
