Museveni to decongest Kampala with new road links

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged continued investment in road infrastructure in Mukono District and surrounding areas as part of a broader strategy to decongest Kampala city, improve the movement of people and goods, and support economic transformation under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government.

Addressing a massive campaign rally at St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Naggalama Grounds in Mukono District on Friday, January 2, 2026, President Museveni stated that the government is prioritizing the construction of alternative road corridors that bypass Kampala to alleviate chronic traffic congestion in the capital.

President Museveni said heavy traffic entering Kampala from Mukono, Wakiso, and other surrounding districts has necessitated a shift in infrastructure planning, with emphasis on outer ring roads and inter-district connectors.

“We need roads that allow vehicles to avoid Kampala city altogether,” President Museveni said.

“Because of the heavy traffic, we want most of the cars to pass on roads outside Kampala, instead of all traffic being forced to go through the city.”

He said the government has already invested heavily in major highways and will continue upgrading strategic road links connecting Mukono to neighbouring districts.

“We started with major roads like Kampala–Jinja, which has been repaired several times, and we are doing it again. We have already completed the Mukono–Kampala section, and we shall finish the remaining part from Mukono to Jinja,” President Museveni said.

The President listed additional roads that have either been completed or expanded to improve regional connectivity, including the Kayunga–Kangulumira–Jinja road, the Mukono–Katosi (Bakunja) road, and the Kayunga–Baale–Galiraya road.

“These roads are all part of our plan to improve transport and trade while reducing pressure on Kampala,” he added.

Earlier, Mukono District NRM Chairperson Hajji Haruna Ssemakula raised concerns over persistent traffic congestion along the Mukono–Kampala corridor and appealed for more feeder and connecting roads.

He specifically cited the need for the Misindye–Kiyunga–Naggalama–Zirobwe road, which he said would provide an alternative route for motorists and traders.

In response, President Museveni assured residents that such roads are already included in the government’s infrastructure plans.

“The road mentioned by the NRM chairman is in our plan. We need roads connecting Mukono to places like Zirobwe, Seeta, Namugongo, and Nansana, so that traffic does not have to pass through Kampala.”

He also reflected on the changing dynamics of the Northern Bypass, noting that urban expansion has overtaken earlier planning assumptions.

“We worked on the Northern Bypass, thinking Kampala would remain south of it. But Kampala expanded beyond it. The Northern Bypass is now the central bypass,” President Museveni observed.