Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama has exposed an alleged scheme in which some ministry officials reportedly used insider information about planned road projects to acquire properties along proposed routes before seeking hefty compensation from the government.Appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure, Byamukama said investigations had uncovered properties along the Nakawuka–Nateete Road that allegedly belong to officials within the Ministry of Works and Transport.
He said the revelation raised serious concerns because some of the officials were involved in determining compensation for properties affected by road construction.The minister said the suspected acquisitions stretch across nearly 10 kilometres of the Nakawuka–Nateete Road corridor. According to him, officials who were supposed to help establish fair compensation rates allegedly became beneficiaries of the same process by owning properties within the road reserve.Byamukama said the alleged conflict of interest has contributed to a dramatic increase in the project’s compensation bill. He claimed that the amount required to compensate affected property owners has reached almost three times the estimated cost of physically constructing the road.
The minister said similar concerns had emerged on the Kyaliwajjala–Kira–Matugga Road, where some structures and a petrol station reportedly remained undemolished after their owners demanded higher compensation. He said subsequent investigations allegedly linked some of the property owners to officials working within the ministry.Byamukama further raised concerns over compensation involving land in wetlands, alleging that government money had in some cases been paid for land titles created in environmentally sensitive areas. He also accused some officials of using money to influence people and claimed that attempts had been made to bribe authorities investigating the alleged misconduct.The minister vowed that those implicated would be arrested, saying investigators had prepared a report detailing the findings.
His allegations come as the Works and Transport Ministry faces increased scrutiny over corruption and escalating infrastructure costs, with six engineers reportedly dismissed and other officials subjected to disciplinary measures.The latest accusations add another layer to concerns surrounding Uganda’s road construction and compensation system, particularly over how project information is accessed, how affected properties are valued and who ultimately benefits from government payouts. If the allegations are substantiated, they could trigger further investigations and renewed demands for stronger safeguards against conflicts of interest in public infrastructure projects.
