By Spy Uganda Investigations Desk
The Ministry of Works and Transport is facing its gravest corruption crisis yet, following explosive revelations from a whistleblower pointing to widespread embezzlement and abuse of office involving high-ranking officials. At the center of the storm is Mr. Winstone Katushabe, the Commissioner of Transport Regulation and Safety, who is now being described by insiders as the head of “dean of thieves” within the ministry—a man whose alleged corruption has not only cost the country billions of shillings but also claimed lives in unfinished roads across the country,where victims die in hundreds.
According to sources cited in a damning report by our Spy, the schemes involved direct procurement manipulation, inflated contracts, and suspicious partnerships designed to siphon public funds under the guise of infrastructure development. Flagged projects include:
- A UGX 24.9 billion contract for archiving Uganda Driving Permit records awarded to Face Technologies, where UGX 4.5 billion is unaccounted for.
- A UGX 29.4 billion contract to remodel the Uganda Railway Main Station and a URA warehouse, where more than UGX 5 billion is reportedly missing.
These financial scandals are just the tip of the iceberg. The human cost of the corruption has become heartbreakingly clear.
More Perishing In Road Accidents
The country was thrown into national mourning last Saturday following the untimely death of 35-year-old entrepreneur Rajiv Ruparelia, whose accident has now been linked to one of the ministry’s stalled projects due to backdoor deals (if you want your money proceed faster there’s a huge commission you must be willing to par-take).
The road on which Rajiv died had reportedly been abandoned by contractors over a mere UGX 42 billion payment delay—a matter the ministry allegedly failed to prioritize, despite the road’s strategic importance. It connects directly to Uganda’s only major international conference center, Munyonyo,frequently used by foreign dignitaries including heads of state.
“This tragedy is not just a case of bad luck; it’s a consequence of a corrupt system that delays payments unless middlemen are paid off first,” a whistleblower said. “They create artificial bottlenecks so they can offer to ‘facilitate’ the process—for a cut.”
Neglect, Death and Decay on Mityana-Fort Portal Road
Another glaring example is the Mityana-Fort Portal road, a dilapidated artery that has remained unconstructed for over five years. Sources reveal that despite requiring less than UGX 60 billion for the contractor to resume work, the project is consistently sidelined during budget discussions. Shockingly, parliamentarians—including MPs from the affected Rwenzori region—recently shared UGX 53 billion amongst themselves in a single day.
“That’s already a whole road shared amongst MPs in a matter of seconds,” said a frustrated insider. “Yet they’ll come back tomorrow claiming they’re advocating for its construction. Meanwhile, people are dying and losing their vehicles to poor road conditions.”
The same source alleged that only contractors who agree to underhanded deals—offering percentage cuts to insiders—see their payments fast-tracked.
Calls for Accountability & Whistleblower Protection
The whistleblower has invoked the Whistleblowers Protection Act, 2010, fearing retaliation and cover-ups. Civil society is now calling for immediate interdiction of implicated officials under Section F-s (14) of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders, which mandates suspension of civil servants under investigation for wrongdoing.
“This abuse of public funds has gone beyond economics,” a governance expert commented. “It’s killing people. It’s eroding public trust. And it’s proving that service delivery has become secondary to personal enrichment.”
As investigations deepen, the public is demanding not just accountability but a complete overhaul of procurement practices and project management within the Ministry of Works. Until then, Uganda continues to lose not only money—but its people, to roads that were never built, and to promises never kept. Watch the space…..
