The Kampala-Jinja Expressway (KJE) project is intended to relieve traffic congestion, improve road safety, and spur economic growth in the region. As such, it will support regional integration between the Port of Mombasa, in Kenya, and the landlocked countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Combined, Phases 1 and 2 are expected to generate up to 1,500 jobs during construction and 250 jobs during operations, most of which are expected to be filled by Ugandans. Once operational, the KJE is expected to reduce travel time between Kampala and Jinja by approximately 70 minutes. The KJE will also support government revenue through toll road fees and taxes.
The KJE project will have adverse environmental and social impacts, both directly and indirectly. Displacement poses a substantial risk because the project necessitates relocation and resettlement of households, businesses, schools, and health centers, among others. Unless properly managed, involuntary resettlement may result in long-term hardship and impoverishment for affected communities. Moreover, marginalized children, such as heads of households, orphans, and children living and working on the street, often lack property rights, thus suffering from discrimination in access to compensation and remedy. Any delay in compensating the affected population greatly undermines livelihood restoration. The large labor influx for project works heightens the risk of increased gender based violence and sexual exploitation. There is also a higher risk of road accidents due to fast moving construction vehicles and air and water pollution. The project may also increase child labor, which raises school drop-out rates.
The proposed right-of-way (ROW) is also expected to impact some sensitive habitat and species of concern. The KJE borders Namanve Central Forest Reserve for approximately 2.5 km, likely resulting in disturbance to some 65 ha of the reserve, including approximately 22 ha of relatively high-quality papyrus wetland. Second, the Mabira Central Forest Reserve and buffer zone are located approximately two kilometers north of the ROW. This protected area is the largest remaining stand of semi-deciduous forest in central Uganda and is critical habitat for several threatened species, including the endemic Uganda mangabey.
The KJE represents the first toll road public-private partnership in Uganda that is seeking international financing. Phase 1 is being supported by a sovereign loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) as well as financing from the European Union and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and advisory services from the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Phase 2 will follow as a separate project that is likely to seek future financing from MDBs. Phase 2, to be considered later under separate financing, will constitute the 41-km eastern extent, from Namagunga to Jinja.
