Kampala, Uganda | URN | The shortage of bitumen and delays in relocating utility services could derail Kampala Capital City Authority’s (KCCA) target of completing most ongoing road construction works by December 2026.
KCCA says construction has progressed well across several divisions, but contractors still need bitumen to surface some roads and must complete walkways, street lighting, road markings and other finishing works.
Engineer Patrick Batumbya, a project manager with MBW Consultants working on behalf of KCCA, estimated overall progress at between 68 and 70 per cent across the road projects in Nakawa, Makindye, Kawempe and Lubaga divisions.
“By December, we shall be almost done, apart from the Central Business District, which is going to take us a bit of time because of the relocation of services,” Batumbya said.
He attributed the bitumen shortage partly to global economic developments, including the Iran-Israel conflict, which he said had disrupted imports and affected contractors’ ability to obtain the material in recent months.
“I don’t think there is a contractor who has imported bitumen in the last three months. It’s not there, and it is our worry. It should be your worry. It should be the national worry,” he said.
Batumbya said some contractors had prepared roads for surfacing but could not proceed because they were waiting for bitumen supplies.
He added that contractors still had some stocks and hoped the available supplies would sustain construction and help KCCA meet its December deadline.
KCCA Executive Director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki inspected several road projects in Kawempe and Kampala Central on Saturday to assess progress and identify challenges affecting construction.
The authority has divided the ongoing works into two call-off orders covering approximately 38 kilometres. The first covers 24 kilometres, while the second covers 14 kilometres.
During the inspection, Buzeki first visited Mukalazi and Muganzirwaza roads, which Multiplex Construction Company is building.
She found the construction sites untidy and instructed the contractor to clean them before proceeding with the inspection.
Buzeki said contractors must maintain clean and orderly sites until they hand over the roads to KCCA, warning that the authority could impose fines on those who fail to meet the requirements.
Mukalazi Road had reached about 70 per cent completion, while Muganzirwaza Road stood at 35 per cent. Nsamba Road had also reached approximately 70 per cent, with all three projects targeted for completion by December.
At Nsamba Road in Kawempe, Buzeki identified limited access to the right of way as one of the challenges delaying construction, particularly around the 100-metre section near Nsamba Coffee Factory.
The contractor wants to widen the road, but the proposed expansion affects the factory’s perimeter wall. Buzeki said the parties had resolved some of the outstanding land-access challenges, allowing the contractor to accelerate the works. She added that major earthworks on the affected section had already been completed.
At Square One Road in Kampala Central, which Dott Services is constructing, the project had reached approximately 42 per cent completion. Drainage crossings and the relocation of utility services had previously slowed progress.
Buzeki said KCCA and its contractors remained committed to completing and handing over the roads by December, provided suppliers continued delivering bitumen and other construction materials.
Beyond the construction delays, Buzeki raised concerns about blocked drainage channels, open manholes and poor site management.
She said contractors must keep construction sites safe, accessible and reasonably clean throughout the works, rather than waiting until completion to address the problems.
“We have tasked the supervising engineer and our contract management team to ensure that they regularly monitor and inspect these sites,” Buzeki said.
She added that KCCA had mapped blocked drainage points and instructed contractors to clear them.
During the inspection, Buzeki also found cases where residents had connected wastewater and sewage outlets to roadside drainage channels. She warned that the practice undermines the purpose of the drainage systems.
KCCA is implementing road construction and rehabilitation projects to improve road surfaces, drainage, traffic junctions, street lighting and pedestrian facilities across the city.
The works form part of broader efforts to address Kampala’s longstanding road challenges, including potholes, flooding, inadequate drainage, narrow carriageways and traffic congestion.
Through initiatives such as the Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project, supported by the African Development Bank and the Government of Uganda, KCCA aims to improve urban mobility and make roads safer for motorists and pedestrians.
However, the availability of bitumen, the resolution of land-access disputes and the relocation of utility services will remain critical to meeting the December completion target.
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