Inside the infrastructure transformation reshaping Uganda’s gateway municipality during President Museveni’s Seventh Administration
By Brian Mugenyi
ENTEBBE, UGANDA — On a chilly Wednesday morning, the future of Entebbe Municipality was being shaped beneath the roar of heavy machinery.
Along the Kitooro–Nakiwogo road corridor, near the school community around Kitooro, tracks of excavators moved slowly across the construction site as operators directed fresh murram, while engineers and road workers monitored the preparation of the road surface.
The sound of graders cutting through the earth, trucks delivering construction materials and workers levelling the ground painted a picture of a city undergoing a major transformation.
Motorists reduced their speed as they approached the busy construction zone. Pedestrians paused to watch the machines at work. Nearby businesses continued their daily activities, with traders hopeful that improved roads would attract more customers, reduce transport challenges and create a more organised urban environment.
For many residents, the construction works represent more than a road project.
They represent a turning point.
Entebbe Municipality, Uganda’s gateway city, is witnessing a major infrastructure renewal as eleven strategic roads undergo upgrading under the leadership of Mayor Fabrice Rulinda and Town Clerk Emmanuel Gakyaalo.
The development comes at a time when President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s Seventh Administration continues to emphasise infrastructure development as a foundation for economic growth, urbanisation, tourism expansion and improved service delivery.
For decades, Entebbe has carried a unique national identity.
It is home to Entebbe International Airport, the country’s main entry point for international travellers, hosts State House, attracts tourists to the shores of Lake Victoria and serves as a strategic commercial and transport hub.
But behind this global image has been a familiar urban challenge — roads struggling to match the municipality’s growing population, expanding businesses and increasing movement of people and goods.
Today, that story is changing.
The road renaissance transforming Entebbe
At the centre of this transformation is the Shs22.7 billion Kitooro–Kiwafu–Nakiwogo (KKN) Road Project, one of the key infrastructure investments reshaping the municipality.
The project, implemented through the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Programme (GKMA-UDP), is supported by the World Bank and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) through the Government of Uganda.
The 4.3-kilometre road project includes reconstruction of the carriageway, drainage improvement, pedestrian walkways, parking facilities, road safety infrastructure and installation of street lighting.
The objective is not only to improve transportation but also to create a modern urban environment where businesses, residents and visitors can move efficiently.
Mayor Fabrice Rulinda says road infrastructure remains central to the municipality’s development agenda.
“Roads are the foundation of growth because they connect people, businesses and opportunities. A developed road network strengthens trade, tourism and service delivery,” Rulinda says.
For Town Clerk Emmanuel Gakyaalo, infrastructure investment must translate into improved livelihoods for residents.
“Urban development must improve the daily experiences of people. Good infrastructure supports business growth, better services and a more organised municipality,” Gakyaalo says.
From Kitooro Market to Nakiwogo Landing Site
The impact of the road improvements stretches beyond vehicles and transport.
At Kitooro Market, where hundreds of traders depend on daily customer access, improved roads are expected to reduce movement challenges and create a better trading environment.
Towards Nakiwogo Landing Site, the upgraded road network is expected to improve connectivity for passengers travelling across Lake Victoria, tourists heading to island destinations and businesses transporting goods.
For Entebbe’s tourism sector, better roads offer a stronger connection between the airport, hotels, recreation centres and the lakeside economy.
Infrastructure as a development message
The road transformation reflects the broader government approach that views infrastructure as a catalyst for economic empowerment.
President Museveni has consistently emphasised that roads open markets, reduce the cost of doing business, encourage investment and support national development.
The eleven roads being improved in Entebbe therefore represent more than kilometres of asphalt.
They represent a bridge between government investment and citizens’ everyday lives.
As construction continues, the municipality is gradually moving from a city known mainly as Uganda’s entry point to the world into a modern urban centre capable of matching its international importance.
For residents watching excavators move through their neighbourhoods, the message is clear.
The roads are not only changing how people travel.
They are changing how Entebbe sees its future.
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