Works ministry starts clearing encroachers from Busega–Mityana road

KAMPALA - The Ministry of Works and Transport on Wednesday (September 17) began evicting encroachers who had set up stalls, taxi parks and other businesses around the Busega–Mityana highway.

Several police officers accompanied ministry staff to remove temporary shelters that had been built along the drainage channels near the highway.

Works Ministry communications officer Allan Ssempebwa said the exercise, which will soon be rolled out nationwide, targeted those who had occupied road reserves and disrupted drainage works.

“It is an enforcement exercise on Busega–Mityana road just after the turn-off at the Northern Bypass, to clear the area of people who have been parking there, and they have put platforms and businesses and have constrained the drainage channels,” Ssempebwa said.

He explained that the ministry decided to clear the road reserve area “to avert the risks of encroachment on the drainage, including flooding and ultimately damage to the road infrastructure as the rainy season approaches.”

The nationwide exercise will start with Busega–Mityana, then move to Gayaza–Kalagi, Kampala–Jinja and Kampala–Bombo roads.

Asked whether encroachers had been given prior notice, Ssempebwa said: “We had already engaged their local leadership, and we have gone through the areas with the public address system and requested them to get off these sections of the highway so that they are able to perform as required.

Allan Ssempebwa

We are particularly looking at traders who have erected stalls over drainage channels. Much as we are concerned over road reserve encroachment, we are looking out for those who have erected platforms over drainage channels. We have been engaging them to move out voluntarily, but we are now moving for those who have not vacated,” he added.

On measures to prevent future encroachment, Ssempebwa said: “We will continuously keep patrolling these sections. First of all, this is not intended to push them out of business. It’s intended to support the functionality of these drainages.

The encroachment blocks water flow, it weakens the road surface itself, increases the risk of flooding and damages critical road infrastructure. The end result is that it endangers the road user,” he added.

The operation follows a June 25, 2025, directive by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Waiswa Bageya, ordering motor vehicle dealers along the Kampala–Jinja highway to vacate road reserves immediately.

Announcing the planned operations, Bageya told car dealers and bond operators along the Nakawa–Banda–Kireka section that they had a 30-day grace period before forceful eviction.

“The establishment of car bonds within the designated road reserve contravenes Section 16(1) of the Roads Act, 2019 and has significantly contributed to traffic congestion, blockage of the drainage system, and posing a serious safety hazard to road users along this critical road corridor,” Bageya said in a statement issued by the ministry.

The ministry urged business operators to take advantage of the one-month deadline to leave voluntarily.

“Failure to comply within the stipulated period will result in eviction and removal of any unauthorised structures or installations at the owner’s cost,” the statement said, adding that the exercise was critical to restoring the functionality, safety and integrity of the national road network.

The busy stretch is part of the Northern Transport Corridor, connecting Kenya’s Mombasa Port to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and South Sudan through Kampala.