KCCA LAUNCHES UGX 550 BILLION WORKS TO UPGRADE 24 ROADS

The sun was barely overhead in Rubaga when construction machines roared to life, signaling not just the start of roadworks but the dawn of a new era for Kampala.

Amid speeches, cultural pride, and the scent of progress in the air, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) officially launched a UGX 550 billion road infrastructure project that will see 87 kilometers of roads upgraded across the capital over the next three years.

It’s the kind of transformation Kampala’s residents have long waited for. Funded by the Government of Uganda, the massive infrastructure initiative will begin with a first phase covering 14.6 kilometers, comprising 24 priority roads selected for their economic, social, and strategic value.

At the center of it all, standing on dusty ground soon to be paved, was Sharifah Buzeki, KCCA’s Executive Director. Calm but purposeful, she addressed the crowd with gratitude and urgency.

“This is more than just road construction,” she said. “It’s a promise to our people. It’s our commitment to make Kampala more livable, safer, and future-ready.”

For Kampala, this road project is more than construction it is reconstruction of hope. Roads are not just for movement, residents say they are for business, for health, for safety, for the future.

“When you make a road,” Buzeki said, “many things change.”

With Dott Services Ltd as contractor and MBW Consulting Ltd supervising, the new roads will feature covered drains, solar-powered lighting, pedestrian walkways, and underground utility ducts all designed to handle Kampala’s growing traffic and climate pressures.

With no allocated funds for land compensation, the authority is relying on voluntary land donations to avoid delays a gamble that appears to be paying off.

“We are deeply encouraged by residents who have stepped aside, offering their land for the greater good,” Buzeki said.

Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropiltan, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, reminded contractors that this isn’t just a story about tarmac it’s a story about people.

“The youth of Kampala must benefit,” she said. “They should be employed on these sites, trained, and given skills. Infrastructure must also empower.”

Kampala Lord Mayor Hajj Erias Lukwago, always vocal about service delivery, revealed that some roads like the Kabaka’s Lake Road could be completed in just four months.

“If that happens,” Lukwago said, “we unlock the lake project, and we send a message across Uganda that government and communities can work together to deliver.”

Plan to rebuild Kabaka’s Lake Unveiled

Among the roads to be cosntructed is Kabaka’s Lake Road, snaking past one of Buganda Kingdom’s most treasured cultural landmarks. Once a lifeline and escape route for Kabaka Mwanga II in 1848, the lake today is a reflection of Kampala’s urban paradox: historical beauty next to flooding and pollution.

For residents here, the road has been more of a hazard than a help.

“Whenever it rains, the water brings garbage into the lake,” said Pastor Robert Kayanja, who is part of a growing campaign to restore the lake’s ecological and cultural glory. “But roads change things. Good roads bring dignity. They bring order.”

“When you build a road, you don’t just change traffic you change mindsets, ecosystems, economies,” said Kayanja said. “This lake once had four islands; now only one remains. It’s time we reverse that.”

A masterplan for the redevelopment of the lake was unveiled by Pastor Kayanja and Freeman Kiyimba, promising a jogging track, bird sanctuary, tree replanting, and a museum to preserve the lake’s heritage. But none of that is possible, they insist, without a proper road first.

At the unveiling, representatives from the Buganda Kingdom, including Israel Kazibwe Kitooke, Minister for Information, stood alongside KCCA officials and religious leaders. All eyes were on the same goal: a rebuilt Kabaka’s Lake, made possible by a functioning road.

“We’re asking leaders: do not approve buildings without toilets,” Kayanja urged. “Fix sewer lines. Protect this lake for our children.”

And now, with machinery humming and expectations high, Kampala’s journey toward transformation has begun one road at a time.

By Geofrey Mutegeki Araali 

Communication and Media Relations Officer