Mukono leaders warn Chinese contractor against shoddy work on Shs35bn road project
Mr Li Peng, the Country Manager for China Railway No. 5 Engineering Group Company Ltd, looks on as Mukono Chief Administrative Officer Elizabeth Namanda appends her signature on the road construction contract on May 9, 2025. PHOTO/DIPHAS KIGULI
What you need to know:
- The Ntenjeru-Bule Road upgrade is expected to improve connectivity and ease traffic pressure on one of the country’s busiest transport corridors.
Mukono District Local Government has signed a contract with China Railway No. 5 Engineering Group Company Limited to tarmac a 7.8-kilometre section of the Ntenjeru-Bule Road, a key infrastructure project under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Programme (GKMA-UDP).
The entire road, stretching 18.5 kilometres from Ntenjeru to Bule Village, is earmarked for tarmacking under the GKMA-UDP—a government initiative aimed at improving infrastructure in the metropolitan area, funded by the World Bank.
The construction contract, worth Shs35.7 billion, is expected to be completed in 18 months.
Speaking during the contract signing ceremony at the Mukono District headquarters on Friday, May 9, 2025, Ms Elizabeth Namanda, the Chief Administrative Officer, expressed confidence in the contractor’s ability to deliver, citing the company's previous work. However, she issued a stern warning against poor workmanship.
“Make sure you do not disappoint us. We have much hope in you and for such a long time we’ve been waiting for this project to take off. This road is vital in the development of our area and in reducing traffic congestion on the Kampala–Jinja highway,” Namanda said.
District Chairperson Rev. Dr. Peter Bakaluba Mukasa welcomed the project, praising the government for supporting service delivery regardless of political affiliations.
“What we once thought as a distant dream is now a reality. Let me take this opportunity to thank the government of Uganda for the cordial working relationship with us from the Opposition. We’re members of the National Unity Platform (NUP), but they’ve availed us with all the resources we need to serve our people well—and we do not take it for granted,” Dr. Bakaluba noted.
Mukono Resident District Commissioner Hajat Fatumah Nabitaka Ndisaba called on the contractor to prioritise employing local residents for both skilled and unskilled work to enhance community impact.
“I strongly urge the contractor to consider employing our youths, many of whom are skilled. This will not only create jobs but also foster community ownership of the project,” she said.
Ms Monica Edemachu, Under Secretary at the Ministry for Kampala Capital City Authority and Metropolitan Affairs, assured the district that the remaining section of the road will be advertised in the 2025/2026 financial year and a contractor identified.
The Ntenjeru-Bule Road upgrade is expected to improve connectivity and ease traffic pressure on one of the country’s busiest transport corridors.
