Hopes of having the Kabale–Lake Bunyonyi Tourism Road tarmacked have dimmed after the Ministry of Works and Transport assigned its Kabale station to undertake maintenance works on the abandoned road as efforts to terminate the contractor’s agreement continue. The decision has frustrated tourism operators around Lake Bunyonyi, who say the deteriorating road has made the destination increasingly difficult to access, contributing to a reported 80 per cent decline in tourist bookings.
The Egyptian contractor, Samcrete Engineers and Contractors, suspended construction works in late May 2026 without providing an official explanation, leaving the 8.4-kilometre Kabale–Lake Bunyonyi road and the 13.4-kilometre Kisoro–Mgahinga Tourism Road partially completed. The two roads were scheduled for upgrading to bitumen standard under an African Development Bank-funded project intended to improve access to key tourism destinations in the Kigezi sub-region.
Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the Ministry of Works and Transport senior communications officer, says the ministry has assigned its Kabale station to undertake maintenance works on the Kabale–Lake Bunyonyi road after assessing its deteriorating condition. Ainebyoona says the intervention is intended to restore the road to a motorable state and ease movement for residents and tourists while the government works towards resolving the contract dispute.He has appealed to road users to bear with the government, explaining that routine maintenance is currently the available alternative as efforts to resume the upgrading project continue.
Ainebyoona says the maintenance works were approved after the Office of the Solicitor General advised that there were sufficient legal grounds to terminate the contract with Samcrete. He says the government is now following the required procedures to conclude the termination process.
However, the decision to undertake maintenance rather than immediately resume the upgrading works has further dampened the expectations of tourism operators who have been waiting for the road to be tarmacked. George Tukwasiibwe, a tour guide at Lake Bunyonyi, says the poor road condition has made it increasingly difficult for tourists to access the destination, affecting his business and other tourism activities.Tukwasiibwe says the government’s latest intervention has weakened his hopes that the long-awaited upgrading works will be completed.
Parite Twinomujuni, director of Hawks Eye Lounge at Lake Bunyonyi and Agaca Tours and Travel, and Noah Mubangizi, the Kitumba Sub-county LCIII chairperson, say the stalled project has damaged the image of the tourism sector. They estimate that tourism bookings around Lake Bunyonyi have declined by approximately 80 per cent because of the poor road conditions, leaving investors struggling with financial losses.
The road maintenance intervention follows months of pressure from Kabale District leaders, who have petitioned the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Office of the President over the contractor’s failure to complete the works. In June 2026, the district leaders petitioned the government seeking an explanation for the abandonment of the project and details of the measures being taken to ensure its completion.
In July, State Minister for Works and Transport Fred Byamukama told Parliament that the government was considering terminating Samcrete’s contracts after establishing that the company lacked the capacity to complete the works. Byamukama said the ministry had engaged the African Development Bank and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development over the proposed termination.
Later that month, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa explained that Samcrete had not been procured through Uganda’s public procurement procedures because the projects were financed by the African Development Bank. The two roads were intended to improve access to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale District and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Kisoro District, both important tourism destinations in the Kigezi sub-region.
However, with construction stalled and the government now relying on maintenance works to keep the roads usable, tourism operators and local leaders are still waiting for a clear timeline for the resumption and completion of the upgrading projects-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
