Residents commend progress on sh340b Nakawuka–Kasanje road project
Jacob Kasozi, the Local Council 1 (LC1) chairperson of Buwooya-Jungo village, applauded the contractor’s determination while calling on government agencies to accelerate the remaining property clearances.
The project encompasses five primary interconnected segments: Nateete–Nakawuka–Kisubi, Nakawuka–Kasanje–Mpigi, Nakawuka–Mawagulu–Nanziga–Maya, the Kasanje–Buwaya and the Entebbe–Nakiwogo sections. (Photos by Rhyman Agaba)
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Across the bustling trading centres and agricultural hubs of Wakiso and Mpigi districts, a visible sense of optimism is taking root.
Residents and local leaders in areas including Nsaggu, Katalemwa, Katwe, Kalandazi, Nakawuka, and Buwooya-Jungo, have commended China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) as heavy equipment and engineering crews accelerate civil works on the 72.5-kilometre Nakawuka-Kasanje road upgrading project.
Supervised by the Ministry of Works and Transport following the structural transition of road agencies under the Government of Uganda, the sh340.5b multi-corridor initiative is converting the once dusty road into a class II bitumen asphalt road fitted with reinforced concrete drainage systems and safety shoulders, according to Innocent Kalule, the CCCC publicist.
When fully completed, Kalule said, the road will act as a major socio-economic bypass, linking Kisubi and Entebbe directly through Nakawuka and Kasanje to Mpigi and the main Kampala–Masaka trade corridor.
This will enable commercial truckers and commuters to bypass the chronic congestion in Nateete and central Kampala, as the project is projected to slash transit times between the Entebbe Peninsula, via the Buwaya and Nakiwogo ferry link, and Mpigi from two hours down to just 30 minutes.
The project encompasses five primary interconnected segments: Nateete–Nakawuka–Kisubi, Nakawuka–Kasanje–Mpigi, Nakawuka–Mawagulu–Nanziga–Maya, the Kasanje–Buwaya and the Entebbe–Nakiwogo sections.
The corridor's progression comes against a backdrop of complex operational challenges.
Furthermore, he said traversing low-lying wetlands around the Lake Victoria basin demanded specialised geotechnical engineering to ensure long-term structural integrity.
"To keep momentum moving without stalling, CCCC deployed a contractor pre-financing structure, utilising its own corporate capital to kickstart early design, site mobilisation, and ground clearance," Kalule said.
Adopting a phased corridor approach, Kalule said CCCC systematically mobilised heavy plant equipment onto cleared stretches—such as Kabojja–Kinaawa, Nakawuka, Ssisa, and Kasanje—while scheduling night operations through dense trading zones like Nateete to prevent local business disruptions.
Local leaders and residents along the alignment have warmly welcomed these engineering solutions.
Jacob Kasozi, the Local Council 1 (LC1) chairperson of Buwooya-Jungo village, applauded the contractor’s determination while calling on government agencies to accelerate the remaining property clearances.
He noted that the community is happy that CCCC took the initiative to construct the road, and asked the Government to quicken all required processes to grant full right-of-way to the contractor, as communities have lived in dust for far too long.
Jane Frances Asiimwe, a resident and trader along the Nakawuka stretch, commended CCCC's proactive environmental controls, noting that water bowsers regularly water the road to suppress dust.
Sam Kiyaga, the LC1 chairperson of Katwe, urged youth to safeguard and take pride in the ongoing works. He also noted that the road works have created substantial job opportunities. "As a community, we are celebrating the strong operational partnership between the contractor and host communities," Kiyaga said.
The Ministry of Works and Transport spokesperson, Allan Ssempebwa, reaffirmed the Government's commitment to the project, noting that heavy machinery are actively working across multiple points as rights-of-way continue to be acquired.
Civil engineering operations now underway include the construction of large reinforced concrete box culverts, deep U-drains, and primary stormwater diversion channels, he observed.
Ssempebwa added that geotechnical crews are executing deep rock filling and swamp stabilisation across the Buwaya and Kasanje wetland basins, while sub-base compaction and gravel grading proceed rapidly along cleared segments around Kisubi, Ssisa, and Nakawuka alongside the ongoing realignment of electricity transmission power lines and National Water and Sewerage Corporation water mains.