Parliament Probes Kampala-Entebbe Expressway Toll Woes, Cites Revenue Losses

Members of Parliament are intensely questioning former leadership of the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) regarding the operational inefficiencies and financial losses associated with the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway.

The parliamentary committee, led by Mbarara City South MP Mwine Mpaka, discovered during a spot check at the Kajjansi toll gates that the system operated by French contractor Egis Road Operations S.A. was predominantly manual. This manual approach has reportedly made the toll collection system highly susceptible to fraud, with instances of motorists bypassing payments.

Former UNRA Executive Director Allen Kagina and former Minister of Works and Transport Gen. Katumba Wamala were specifically grilled on how Egis Road Operations S.A. secured the contract despite not meeting essential technical requirements. Kagina acknowledged that the contractor failed to install critical monitoring software and an automatic vehicle classifier within the stipulated time frame after tolling began in 2022. This forced manual classification by toll collectors, leading to inaccuracies.

Gen. Wamala, now Minister of Public Service, defended his position by stating that political leaders do not engage in the day-to-day management or signing of operational contracts, focusing instead on policy and oversight. He did, however, express support for the recent decision to transition tolling operations to a local firm, Pinnacle Security Limited, citing a commitment to building local capacity.

Lawmakers also pressed officials on the continued reliance on cash payments, a system identified as a higher risk for financial leakages compared to digital alternatives. Isaac Menya, a Network Planning Engineer at the Ministry of Works and Transport, explained that cash was initially favored due to Uganda’s cash-dominant economy, with a plan for a gradual shift to digital, a model reportedly used in other African nations.

The committee is expected to present a comprehensive report with firm recommendations to Parliament soon, promising accountability for those found responsible for the shortcomings in the expressway’s tolling system.