MPs Recommend Ending Kampala–Entebbe Expressway Operating Contracts

Parliament recommends changes to Entebbe Expressway toll operations amid concerns over revenue management, operating costs and contract performance.

News: Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure has recommended terminating the current private operating arrangements on the Kampala–Entebbe Expressway and transferring operations and maintenance to the Ministry of Works and Transport. The committee also wants Uganda Revenue Authority to take over toll collection, supported by electronic payments and a dedicated account for servicing the expressway loan.

Entebbe Expressway, Kajjansi Interchange, Photo: MOWT

Context: The recommendations follow parliamentary scrutiny of toll revenues, manual interventions in the toll system, procurement and contract costs. An earlier audit review found more than 10,000 vehicle movements that could not be reconciled in toll records, while Parliament was told that approximately Shs.129 billion had been collected since tolling began against about Shs.122 billion paid to the toll-system operator.

Stakeholder Implications: The dispute goes to the heart of infrastructure operations after construction. Toll-road viability depends not only on traffic demand but also on reliable revenue systems, transparent operating costs and clear institutional accountability. Any transfer of operations will therefore need to demonstrate that the public sector can operate and maintain the asset more efficiently without weakening service or revenue collection.