Over the years, the government has invested heavily in improving road infrastructure, increasing the length of paved roads from about 1,000 kilometres in 1986 to 6,306 kilometres by June 2024.
However, despite this progress, concerns are growing that many of these roads are not properly maintained after construction and are often left to deteriorate, contributing to increasing road accidents.
The road network in Uganda has expanded across different categories, with some roads upgraded to paved status. Currently, about 6,306 kilometres are paved, up from 4,000 kilometres in 2015.
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However, this still represents a small fraction of the total network, with about 90 percent of roads remaining unpaved.
In addition, the government has already initiated procurement processes for about 1,691 kilometres of roads, while another 2,555.7 kilometres are still under design.
Government spending on roads has also increased significantly, with an average of more than Shs3.7 trillion invested annually in the road sector.
Each district and urban authority also receives about Shs1 billion per financial year to maintain community access roads.
Despite these investments, many roads continue to deteriorate over time, with roads moving from fair to poor condition, making rehabilitation more expensive as pressure mounts for new construction instead of repair.
Experts attribute this to poor construction standards and delayed maintenance.
For many road users, these roads remain unsafe. Omongo Ndugu, the executive director of the Uganda Professional Drivers Network, said many roads are in dangerous condition and pose risks to motorists and pedestrians.
According to road construction guidelines, for every shilling spent on constructing a road, at least 3 percent should be allocated to maintenance. However, in Uganda, this requirement is often not followed.
Dan Kimosho, the chairperson of the Physical Infrastructure Committee of Parliament, said inadequate funding for maintenance is worsening the situation.
He noted that failure to repair potholes in time often leads to complete road deterioration, increasing rehabilitation costs.
Beyond poor road conditions, many roads also lack basic safety features such as street lighting and road signage, making them dangerous for users.
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According to State Minister for Transport Fred Byamukama, the government is aware of some of these challenges and has conducted studies to understand why certain roads are prone to accidents.
He cited the Mukono-Jinja Road as one of the accident-prone roads, noting that it is narrow and requires rehabilitation and expansion. He said government has already started some repair works and plans to expand the road.
Policymakers are now arguing that it may be time for the government to establish an independent regulatory authority to oversee road construction and maintenance to ensure quality standards are followed.
Although the Ministry of Works and Transport remains one of the most heavily funded sectors in the national budget, some major road projects have stalled.
For instance, projects like the Kampala-Jinja Expressway have remained in the planning phase for years despite earlier resettlement processes affecting communities along the route, while the Mpigi-Busega Expressway has stalled at about 30 percent completion.
The situation highlights a growing concern among experts and policymakers that while Uganda is building new roads, failure to maintain existing ones could undermine the country's infrastructure gains.
