KAMPALA | The Ministry of Works and Transport has warned that ongoing road construction projects across the country could face further delays due to acute shortages of fuel and bitumen, linked to global geopolitical tensions.
In a statement posted on X, Ministry Senior Communications Officer Emmanuel Ainebyoona said the scarcity is being driven by disruptions in petroleum supplies from the Gulf region.
“Both fuel and bitumen are scarce these days due to global geopolitics. This explains why some road works/projects by @MoWT_Uganda may have or be delayed,” Ainebyoona posted.
He explained that bitumen — the black, sticky, viscous binder that holds aggregates together and makes a road ‘tarmacked’ — is a direct petroleum product largely supplied out of the Gulf.
The warning comes at a time when Ugandans are paying Shs 6,800 to 7,000 per litre of petrol and diesel in many parts of the country, nearly double the Shs 3,800 to 4,200 price range when several major road contracts were signed.
Ministry officials have previously told Parliament that contractors are struggling to keep pace because fixed-price contracts can no longer absorb the sharp rise in fuel and bitumen costs.
Earlier this month, engineers working on Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) roads also flagged a bitumen crisis. They said imports have been difficult over the past three months due to global market disruptions linked to the Iran-related conflict and shipping constraints through key routes. Some contractors have prepared road sections for tarmacking but are stuck without bitumen.
The shortages add to a long list of challenges in Uganda’s road sector. The Auditor General’s reports show that out of 67 major road projects worth over Shs 10 trillion, nearly half have been delayed, suspended or abandoned due to delayed payments, land compensation disputes, funding shortfalls and contractor capacity gaps.
The government has already indicated it will prioritise completing existing projects in the 2026/27 financial year rather than starting new ones.
Public reaction to the Ministry’s explanation has been mixed. On social media, some Ugandans dismissed the geopolitics reason as a familiar excuse for long-standing delays on corridors like the Kira-Kasangati-Matugga and Kyaliwajjala roads, while others urged government to explore alternatives such as concrete roads and stronger local supply through the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC).
The Ministry is yet to publish a list of projects most affected by the current fuel and bitumen constraints.
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