Bukasa Inland Port — Uganda’s Multimodal Mega-Project Under the Lens
By The Urban Gazette Investigative Desk | Kampala
Uganda’s ambition to become a regional trade hub hinges on the Bukasa Inland Port, a sprawling multimodal project on Lake Victoria’s shores in Wakiso District. Promised as a transformative logistics and economic engine, the port is projected to handle over 7 million tons of cargo annually by 2030. Yet, investigative findings reveal a tangle of procurement irregularities, funding opacity, environmental risks, and social concerns, raising critical questions about transparency, governance, and accountability.
Project Overview
Size & Scope: Approximately 465 hectares along Lake Victoria. Designed as a tri-modal hub integrating road, rail, and water transport. (Encyclopedia: Bukasa Port)
Phases:
- Preparatory works — land reclamation, dredging, environmental studies.
- Core port construction — terminals, warehouses, floating docks.
- Expansion — full capacity to 7.5 million tons/year.
Projected benefits: Regional trade decongestion, economic spillovers, job creation, and improved connections to Central and Northern Corridors.
Investigative Findings: Procurement and Funding
The Phase 1 contract was awarded to a Belgian-only consortium, Coppieters JV and GAUFF Engineers, raising questions about transparency and competition. Sources indicate local firms were barred from bidding, despite capabilities and interest. (Monitor.co.ug)
Cost escalation: initial preparatory works estimated at €10M ballooned to €14.9M, with limited public explanation. Documents reviewed by Urban Gazette show no detailed breakdown of overruns.
Delays in procurement have pushed back Phase 1 completion, potentially affecting Phase 2 financing and investor confidence.
Environmental & Social Risks
The port requires extensive swamp reclamation and dredging, impacting fragile Lake Victoria wetlands. Preliminary environmental assessments suggest that local fish breeding grounds and water filtration zones are at risk.
Community displacement: nearby informal settlements and farmers have faced relocation, with resettlement action plans (RAPs) criticized for lack of consultation and inadequate compensation. Local leaders claim residents were informed after the project began, leaving families with little choice.
Potential consequences: wetland loss could increase flooding, disrupt fisheries, and undermine local livelihoods — the very communities the port is meant to serve.
Accountability & Oversight Gaps
Public reports by the Ministry of Works indicate oversight exists, but investigative sources reveal delays in auditing and reporting, and limited parliamentary scrutiny.
Environmental safeguards: Despite legal requirements for continuous monitoring, reports suggest insufficient enforcement, particularly regarding sediment runoff and water quality testing.
Stakeholder voices: A former project engineer, speaking anonymously, noted, “Decisions on contracts were made before environmental mitigation plans were finalized. Cost and schedule pressures overshadowed ecology.”
What’s at Stake
Economic trade-off: While the port promises jobs and regional trade growth, potential environmental degradation and community alienation could undermine long-term benefits.
Public trust: Perceived opacity in tendering and procurement could fuel public skepticism and donor reluctance.
Regional implications: Bukasa’s success is tied to Uganda’s strategic role in Central Corridor trade. Mismanagement may compromise competitiveness and bilateral trade agreements with Kenya and Tanzania.
Bukasa Port exemplifies the paradox of mega-infrastructure in East Africa: potential economic boon, but fraught with governance and ecological risks. As Uganda pushes to finalize construction, the challenge lies in aligning ambition with accountability — or risking a costly lesson in oversight failure.
