Members of Parliament have raised concerns over possible revenue leakage on the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway after witnessing a bus being charged Shs5,000 instead of the required Shs15,000 during an on-spot inspection at the Kajjansi Toll Centre.
The Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure, chaired by Hon. Mwine Mpaka, witnessed the incident on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, during an assessment of toll collection, management and maintenance of the expressway.
During the test, an electronic toll card issued for light vehicles, which attracts a Shs5,000 charge per trip, was manually used to open the barrier for a bus that falls under the category of large goods vehicles and buses, which should pay Shs15,000.
The incident raised questions about the effectiveness of the tolling system and the possibility of revenue losses through manual intervention, despite previous assurances that toll collection was automated.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Works and Transport Network Planning Engineer Isaac Menya recommended that Government consider taking over toll collection through a dedicated state-owned entity.
Menya said Government could manage the tolling system directly if an appropriate mechanism was established to ensure that sufficient revenue is available for road maintenance.
He cited Ethiopia, where toll expressways are largely managed by state-owned enterprises, and Kenya, which uses public-private partnerships to manage some highways.
However, Menya cautioned that placing toll operations under conventional government structures could lead to bureaucratic delays in addressing routine operational challenges.
Pinnacle Security General Manager Ivan Katamba told the committee that the company would engage the Ministry of Works and Transport on the possibility of scrapping toll exemptions for some categories of road users.
The proposal follows concerns from MPs over toll-free passes and their potential impact on revenue collection.
Hoima City Woman Representative Hon. Nyakato Asinansi questioned why contractors working on the expressway should be exempted from the Shs5,000 toll when their work is funded by 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 and maintenance of the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway.
