For more than a decade, Uganda has prioritized infrastructure development, dedicating the largest share of the national budget to roads and energy. The national road network that is tarmacked now stands at 6,287.6 kilometres, representing about 30 percent of the national road network in 2023/24, compared to 5,591 kilometres in 2019/20. Uganda has a Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) network of 1,266 km with only 21.2% (270 km) operational. Uganda has not leveraged the potential of Lake Victoria as a critical transportation hub to unlock the regional and international markets. Only two regional routes of Port Bell-Mwanza and Port Bell-Kisumu are operational on Lake Victoria, with two vessels, MV Kaawa and MV Pamba that are operational. Uganda’s installed electricity generation capacity has now reached 2,051.6 megawatts with the electricity transmission line network expanding by 874.8 kilometres, to 5,140 kilometres increasing electricity access to 60% from 57% in FY 2023/24[1]. The air transport sector has made notable strides, particularly with 7 aircrafts in 14 routes, the ongoing expansion and rehabilitation of Entebbe International Airport (EIA) and near completion (98%) of Kabalega International Airport in Hoima. In addition, the infrastructure development subsector is also faced by several policy and regulatory gaps that hinder its effectiveness. The Road Tolling Policy, 2017, and the Roads Act, Cap.346, cannot be fully operationalized without a comprehensive Roads Policy and accompanying regulations.

The Fourth National Development Plan (2025–2030) positions infrastructure as a driver of industrialization and value addition. Strategic priorities include diversifying transport modes by fast-tracking railway and water transport investments, maintaining and rehabilitating existing networks, investing in mass public transport in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, and strengthening financing mechanisms. In energy, emphasis will be placed on expanding transmission lines to industrial parks and growth centers, while commencing new power generation projects to meet rising demand. These interventions are designed to create an efficient, integrated, and resilient infrastructure system that supports Uganda’s transformation agenda.

By 2030, Uganda aims to achieve measurable results: reducing average travel time on national roads from 3.75 min/km to 1.0 min/km, increasing paved road coverage to 33%, expanding functional railway operations from 21% to 51%, and raising cargo transported by rail from 3% to 20%. Air transport will grow international passenger traffic from 1.9 million to 3 million, while electricity generation capacity will rise from 2,047 MW to 15,420 MW, with access expanding to 70% of households. These outcomes will anchor Uganda’s sustainable structural transformation, positioning infrastructure as the backbone of industrial growth, competitiveness, and regional integration.