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President Museveni criticized the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), calling it “parasitic” and claiming it adds no real value to the country’s progress. He suggested reintegrating UNRA into the Ministry of Works and Transport as part of a broader government effort to streamline state agencies and reduce public spending.

President Museveni has targeted the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) in his recent critique of state agencies, labelling it as “parasitic” and asserting it adds no tangible value to the country’s progress.

“UNRA was totally dependent on the government budget. Their job was to award contracts for road construction using money given to them by the budget with a Board that had to be paid. Yet, in the Ministry of Works, there is a procurement unit for this and that, manned by civil servants,” Museveni stated on Sunday, October 27.

“The Board here and the Authority are parasites, they are irrational and have no value addition,” he continued, adding, “In fact, the nonsense about UNRA caused a regression in the capacity of the Country.”

The statement follows the government’s rationalisation push, which has encountered resistance from opposition MPs, particularly in the case of UNRA and the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA). Other entities under scrutiny include the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) and the Dairy Development Authority (DDA).

The proposal to reintegrate UNRA into the Ministry of Works and Transport, and UCDA into the Ministry of Agriculture, reflects the government’s policy to consolidate, mainstream, and rationalise agencies to eliminate redundancy, streamline functions, and reduce public expenditure.

UNRA is tasked with managing, developing, and maintaining national roads while advising on policy matters related to road infrastructure. Despite the president’s concerns, the chairman of Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure, Dan Kimosho, asserted in a recent report that UNRA’s responsibilities remain relevant and essential, highlighting no duplication of functions with the Ministry of Works, which focuses on policy, regulation, and standards.

President Museveni’s criticism extended to the historical role of the Ministry of Works, noting, “In the 1950s and 1960s, from distant Ntungamo, I saw the Ministry of Works carrying out construction.” He questioned the necessity of UNRA’s Board, citing UPDF and SFC engineering units as more cost-effective models within the Defence Ministry.

“… the idea of the Board of Directors is normally for money-making efforts – i.e., businesses, whether government or private. To have a Board of Directors for only a money-consuming unit like UNRA, on a continuous basis, is a crime,” Museveni emphasised.

He concluded with a stern message: “The parasite groups – UNRA, UCDA, NAADS, DDA – have no right to interfere with our mission. They were given a role irrationally. They betrayed it. Get out. These protracted and dishonest arguments are disgusting.”