The deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has apologised to residents of Mubende over delays in the rehabilitation of the Mityana-Mubende road, following a fatal crash that claimed local businessman Kenneth Kaijuka, 45, and his brother-in-law and driver, Stephen.
The Friday evening accident occurred at Kagavu in Kalonga sub-county, Mubende district, when the family’s Nissan Murano collided with a Mercedes-Benz Actros heavy goods truck travelling in the opposite direction.
Kaijuka and Stephen died in the crash, while Kaijuka’s four children survived with fractures after becoming trapped in the wreckage beneath the truck for about four hours.
An eyewitness, Ivan, who lives in the area, maintained communication with the children throughout the ordeal, offering them reassurance and encouragement.
Ivan said he asked the children for their mother’s telephone number after they told him she had remained in Kampala. The contact enabled rescuers to alert the family and coordinate the response.
After about four hours, rescuers managed to carefully remove the children from the wreckage.
Eyewitnesses attributed the crash to the truck driver’s alleged speeding, saying the poor condition of the road and delays in rehabilitation had also contributed to the danger faced by motorists.
At Kaijuka’s funeral service at All Saints Cathedral, Chris Kaijuka, chairman of the Grain Council of Uganda and uncle of the deceased, vowed to mobilise residents of Tooro and other communities along the road for a protest march to parliament in Kampala.
He said residents had previously attempted to march over the poor state of the road but were stopped.
“This time, we will not be stopped,” Kaijuka said, as he called on residents to join the planned procession.
Citing police accounts, Kaijuka said the truck driver was attempting to avoid a pothole when he lost control of the vehicle because of the speed at which he was travelling.
The truck reportedly crossed into the opposite lane, where it rammed the Nissan Murano and dragged it for about 50 metres, leaving it badly mangled. Kaijuka said the crash was the latest in a series of accidents along the road, accusing the government of failing to respond to residents’ repeated concerns.
The 86-kilometre Mityana-Mubende section is part of the strategic highway linking Kampala to Fort Portal and western Uganda.
Works on the road were launched in 2021, with completion initially scheduled for 2024. However, the project has faced repeated delays attributed to funding constraints and administrative challenges, according to the contractor and the Ministry of Works and Transport.
Responding to the concerns, Tayebwa apologised to residents, saying the government had been pushing the contractor to complete the project.
“We apologise for the delay. We have been fighting with the contractor to ensure that this road is completed,” Tayebwa said.
In June 2026, Works and Transport State Minister Fred Byamukama gave Serbian contractor EnergoProjekt eight months to complete the delayed reconstruction works, setting March 2027 as the deadline or face termination of the contract.
Tayebwa said he was confident there would be no further delays, acknowledging that both the contractor and government had contributed to the prolonged project.
He said government had released funds to the contractor for completion of the 86-kilometre Mityana-Mubende stretch and the upgrade of 14 kilometres of urban roads in Mityana.
The ministry has also directed the contractor to immediately grade and maintain the rough sections of the road to address severe dust, potholes and traffic congestion as efforts continue to meet the 2027 completion deadline.
The remaining 89.3-kilometre Mubende-Kyegegwa-Kyenjojo section is being handled by the ministry’s in-house road construction unit. Tayebwa said the works are expected to take another 18 months.
The Deputy Speaker also cautioned motorists against reckless driving, citing the Mubende crash and the recent accident at Namulanda along Entebbe Road in which two NBS journalists were killed.
He said ongoing motor vehicle inspections by the Ministry of Works and Transport should help reduce road crashes, while urging police to strengthen enforcement against reckless driving.
Kaijuka’s widow, Agnes, told mourners that Tuesday, the day of his burial, would mark exactly 12 years since the couple got married at her parents’ home on August 18, 2014.
We people of tooro we are not happy with this accident which has taken our beloved brother . So we call upon the government to command the contractors about the complitions of this Road thanks