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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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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called for deeper collaboration between Uganda and the United Kingdom in public health, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and medical research, saying stronger partnerships would accelerate disease prevention, boost local medicine production, and improve access to affordable healthcare.

The President made the remarks today during a meeting at State House, Entebbe with a delegation from the United Kingdom led by Uganda’s High Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador Nimisha Madhvani. The delegation included British politician, health consultant and Chair of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group, Hon. Beccy Cooper, as well as members of the Ugandan diaspora working in the UK’s health sector.

President Museveni said Uganda’s healthcare strategy continues to place prevention at its core, arguing that stopping diseases before they occur remains the most effective and cost-efficient way of improving public health.

“Our main emphasis is public health prevention because when you prevent disease, you solve many problems. Through immunisation, we have eliminated or controlled diseases such as smallpox, polio and tuberculosis. If you add nutrition, safe water, hygiene and behavioural change, you eliminate almost 80 percent of diseases,” he said.

He noted that while Uganda has registered major gains against communicable diseases, the country is increasingly focusing on the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and hypertension.

“We are trying to change our doctors from concentrating mainly on curative medicine to putting greater emphasis on prevention,” the President added.

President Museveni also highlighted Uganda’s ongoing investment in traditional medicine research, saying the country’s rich biodiversity presents significant opportunities for pharmaceutical development if backed by scientific research, modern technology, and industrial investment.

“We have many medicinal plants. Our scientists are working through the Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute to identify their active ingredients. What we need are partners and investment to acquire equipment, complete infrastructure and secure patents so that these medicines can be produced commercially,” he explained.

He invited British pharmaceutical companies to invest in Uganda, describing the country as an ideal destination for manufacturing medicines and vaccines for both local consumption and the wider regional market.

Drawing from personal experience, President Museveni recalled surviving a smallpox infection while still a student and paid tribute to the British doctor who treated him.

“I still remember Dr. Allport, a British doctor, who diagnosed and isolated me after I contracted smallpox. That experience strengthened my appreciation for health workers and the importance of public health,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Hon. Cooper praised Uganda’s leadership in public health, particularly its successful response to recent disease outbreaks and its longstanding commitment to hosting refugees.

“Thank you for your leadership in fighting Ebola and ensuring the outbreak came to an end. We are also great admirers of Uganda’s commitment to supporting refugees and vulnerable communities,” she said.

Hon. Cooper said the United Kingdom is keen to deepen healthcare cooperation with Uganda and pledged to engage British pharmaceutical companies interested in investing in vaccine and medicine production.

“There are companies in the UK that would be interested in collaborating with Uganda, particularly in pharmaceutical manufacturing and vaccine production. We will look for opportunities and bring them here and work together with your scientists,” she said.

She further noted that Britain could draw valuable lessons from Uganda’s preventive healthcare model.

“We have much to learn from Uganda’s approach to public health, particularly the emphasis on prevention and community mobilisation. Your willingness to share these experiences demonstrates strong leadership,” she added.

Representing the Ugandan diaspora, Mr. Moses Bulimira said many Ugandan professionals working in the United Kingdom are eager to contribute their expertise to the country’s development.

“We have accomplished a lot while working in the UK, but we also want to come back and contribute to our country,” he said.

The Minister of State for Health in charge of Primary Health Care, Hon. Dr. Charles Ayume, revealed that nearly 970 Ugandan nursing professionals are currently employed in the United Kingdom, underscoring the growing contribution of Uganda’s healthcare workforce to Britain’s health system while also highlighting the strong people-to-people ties between the two countries.

 

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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has reaffirmed Uganda’s unwavering commitment to supporting Somalia’s pursuit of lasting peace, stability and sustainable development, as the two countries pledged to deepen cooperation on regional security and governance.

The President made the remarks today during high-level bilateral talks with the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, at State House, Entebbe.

The meeting focused on regional security, state-building, governance reforms and strengthening the longstanding partnership between Uganda and Somalia.

President Mohamud expressed profound appreciation for Uganda’s continued contribution to Somalia’s peace and stability, particularly through the deployment of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) under regional peace support efforts, as well as broader bilateral cooperation.

“We are grateful for the security support that Uganda has continued to extend to Somalia. We are in a much better position today than we were before, although challenges remain,” President Mohamud said.

He also briefed President Museveni on Somalia’s ongoing political reforms, highlighting efforts to restore universal suffrage after decades without direct elections.

According to President Mohamud, the reforms are aimed at strengthening democratic governance and ensuring that Somalia’s future is determined by its own citizens.

President Museveni welcomed the progress and reaffirmed Uganda’s steadfast support for a peaceful, united and prosperous Somalia.

“For the last 19 years, we have stood with Somalia because we believe in supporting just causes and protecting innocent people. Our interest has always been to see Somalia become peaceful, stable and prosperous,” President Museveni said.

He stressed that lasting peace can only be achieved through strong national institutions, national unity and inclusive governance, adding that Somalia has the potential to overcome its challenges through dialogue and cohesion.

Drawing on Uganda’s own history, President Museveni noted that the country’s stability and development had been built on strengthening national institutions and promoting unity above sectarian interests.

He reiterated Uganda’s readiness to continue working closely with Somalia in advancing peace, security and regional integration.

President Mohamud praised the enduring friendship between the two nations and reaffirmed Somalia’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Uganda in pursuit of shared peace, security and prosperity.

The two Heads of State also underscored the importance of sustained collaboration among African countries in addressing regional security threats and advancing sustainable development across the Horn of Africa.

 

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