MPs Seize Entebbe Expressway Toll Records Amid Revenue Probe

Legislators on Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure have launched a formal investigation into the revenue collection operations of the Entebbe Expressway. The inquiry was prompted by an impromptu inspection of toll collection offices, which uncovered significant gaps in financial records.

The committee, led by Chairperson Mwiine Mpaka, visited the Kajjansi offices of Pinnacle Security Limited, the firm responsible for daily toll fee collection under subcontract with Egis Road Operation SA. The MPs demanded traffic and audited financial records spanning the past five years.

Their inspection momentarily stalled when Pinnacle’s Head, Ivan Katamba, initially objected to the visit due to a lack of prior notice. However, Chairperson Mpaka asserted Parliament’s legal right to access such documents for oversight purposes, warning against any obstruction.

A tense situation arose, with Mpaka briefly ordering Katamba’s arrest before the matter was resolved. Katamba subsequently instructed his staff to release available documents and pledged to provide the missing records.

The committee seeks comprehensive details on vehicle numbers, monthly toll collections, and operational reports to ascertain if all collected revenue has been accurately accounted for and remitted to the government. Mpaka stated that the investigation aims to identify any financial “leakages” between amounts collected and deposited.

Members of the committee noted that some provided records were incomplete, including missing data for two months of toll revenue. They plan to reconcile the collected data with official figures. Formal hearings are scheduled to commence next week, following the recent one-year extension of the toll collection contract for Egis and Pinnacle.

The Entebbe Expressway, opened in 2018, began toll collection in 2022.

Source: Nile Post