A test of the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway toll system has exposed operational gaps after a bus that should have paid Shs15,000 was allowed through a toll barrier after a Shs5,000 electronic card meant for light vehicles was manually used to clear it.
The incident shocked Members of Parliament who witnessed the test on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, during an on-site inspection of toll collection, management and maintenance operations along the expressway.
The development raised fresh concerns over revenue leakage, accountability and the effectiveness of the tolling system, particularly after MPs established that manual intervention remains possible despite earlier assurances that the system is automated.
The Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure, chaired by Hon. Mwine Mpaka, was assessing the operations of the expressway, including toll collection and the systems in place to safeguard revenue.
During the test, a toll card issued under Class 2, covering light vehicles with or without trailers and attracting a Shs5,000 charge per trip, was used to clear a bus classified under Class 4a, which covers large goods vehicles and buses with four to five axles and attracts a Shs15,000 charge per trip.
Although the card was not valid for the bus category, the officer on duty manually opened the barrier, allowing the vehicle to pass.
The incident prompted MPs to question how often such interventions occur and whether they could be contributing to revenue losses on the expressway.
The concerns came as the Ministry of Works and Transport considers the future management of toll collection following the takeover of operations by Pinnacle Security from EGIS.
Engineer Isaac Menya, a Network Planning Engineer at the ministry, was tasked by the committee to advise on the most appropriate model for managing the toll points.
Menya recommended that government could take over toll collection directly through a dedicated entity, provided adequate funds are guaranteed for road maintenance.
“My recommendation is that it does no harm for government to actually manage this toll directly, but under some mechanism where there is availability of money to maintain that road,” Menya said.
He cited Ethiopia, where toll expressways are largely managed through state-owned public enterprises, and Kenya, which uses public-private partnerships in which private investors build, finance and operate highways through long-term concessions.
However, Menya cautioned that placing the expressway under conventional government structures without a suitable operational framework could create bureaucratic delays in responding to routine maintenance and operational challenges.
He said a dedicated government entity would provide greater flexibility in managing toll revenue and carrying out routine maintenance without lengthy administrative procedures.
Meanwhile, Pinnacle Security General Manager Ivan Katamba told the committee that the company would engage the Ministry of Works and Transport on the possibility of removing toll exemptions for some categories of road users.
The proposal follows concerns from MPs that toll-free access could be contributing to revenue losses.
Hoima City Woman Representative Hon. Nyakato Asinansi questioned why contractors carrying out maintenance works on the expressway should be exempted from the Shs5,000 toll fee when they are paid by the government.
Committee chairperson Mwine Mpaka also demanded a comprehensive list of all individuals and categories of road users currently holding toll-free passes.
The inspection at Kajjansi formed part of the committee’s wider assessment of the management, toll collection systems and maintenance of the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway as Parliament scrutinises the effectiveness and sustainability of its operations.
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