# Uganda's President Museveni dismisses six officials for inflating costs of AFCON 2027 road projects and Entebbe Airport contracts > Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni dismissed six engineers and officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) on July 21 for what he called 'massive corruption,' including alleged attempts to more than double the cost of roads being built for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and inflate contracts at Entebbe International Airport **Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-07-21 · heads: Who Decides, Whose Money · 7 takes · 5 lenses · 1 regions ## Summary [Uganda](/en/entity/uganda)'s President Yoweri Museveni dismissed six engineers and officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) on July 21, citing what he called "massive corruption" in two domains: road construction contracts for the 2027 [Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)](/en/head/who-decides) and procurement at Entebbe International Airport. In a strongly worded letter, Museveni said "thieves" had attempted to more than double the cost of AFCON infrastructure roads. Works Minister Fred Byamukama disclosed the dismissals to Parliament's Committee on Physical Infrastructure, where the news caused visible tension among committee members. Ugandan investigative outlet Nile Post exclusively identified the six dismissed individuals, linking the firings to specific procurement chains in the ministry and UCAA. The dismissals are the latest in a series of anti-corruption actions by Museveni targeting infrastructure ministries. ## The split Ugandan outlets (Nile Post, AllAfrica, Chimp Reports) drove all substantive coverage, offering complementary angles, the parliamentary reaction, the identity of the dismissed officials, Museveni's letter, and the AFCON road-cost allegation. No international or regional African outlets had filed coverage at time of writing. AFCON 2027 co-host status (Uganda alongside Kenya and Tanzania) gave the story a continental dimension largely absent from available reporting. ## By the numbers - 6, senior officials dismissed across Works Ministry and UCAA - 2x+, alleged attempted cost inflation on AFCON road projects - 2027, year Uganda co-hosts the Africa Cup of Nations with Kenya and Tanzania - 152, UCAA staff Museveni reportedly ordered to be replaced (per Daily Monitor URL) ## Why it matters Uganda is co-hosting Africa's biggest football tournament in 2027, and infrastructure delays or cost overruns in road and airport construction would affect not just the tournament's viability but the country's international standing. The dismissals signal that Museveni is willing to act against senior ministry officials, but they also reveal that procurement corruption in infrastructure was advanced enough to require presidential intervention. Whether the firings lead to criminal prosecution or simply reassignment will indicate how seriously the government treats the accountability side of the purge. ## What to watch - Whether criminal charges follow the dismissals or the cases are handled administratively - The identities of replacement officials and whether they come from outside the ministry system - Impact on AFCON 2027 road construction timelines in Uganda - Uganda's UCAA response to the Entebbe airport contract allegations and any service disruptions ## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens) ### Ugandan newswire breaking the parliamentary dimension; reports that Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama disclosed the dismissals to Parliament's Committee on Physical Infrastructure, where the news caused tempers to flare - **AllAfrica / Daily Monitor** (Uganda, en) — AllAfrica reported that Works Minister Byamukama revealed the dismissal of six engineers to a parliamentary committee, which received the news with visible tension; the disclosure that Museveni acted unilaterally through ministerial letter gave the story its legislative angle, separate from Museveni's own public statements. > "Tempers flared in Parliament's Committee on Physical Infrastructure after Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama revealed that President Museveni had dismissed six engineers." Source: https://allafrica.com/stories/202607210068.html ### Ugandan outlet with the exclusive identities of the six dismissed officials, a detail absent from all other initial reports; grounds the corruption purge in specific individuals rather than anonymous 'six engineers' - **AllAfrica / Nile Post** (Uganda, en) — Nile Post exclusively identified the six senior officials dismissed by Museveni, naming the individuals from the Ministry of Works and Transport and the UCAA, providing accountability detail that let readers connect the dismissals to specific procurement chains. > "Nile Post has exclusively established the identities of the six senior officials dismissed by President Museveni in the latest anti-corruption purge targeting the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA)." Source: https://allafrica.com/stories/202607210117.html ### Ugandan outlet with a strongly-worded presidential letter explaining the firings; reports Museveni cited 'massive corruption' that delayed road projects, inflated construction costs, and undermined Entebbe airport operations, offering the president's own framing - **Chimp Reports** (Uganda, en) — Chimp Reports reported the contents of Museveni's dismissal letter, which cited 'massive corruption' that delayed road projects, inflated construction costs, and undermined Entebbe airport operations, giving readers the president's direct justification for the firings rather than secondhand ministry statements. > "President Museveni has said he dismissed six senior officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority because of 'massive corruption' that delayed road projects and inflated construction costs." Source: https://chimpreports.com/museveni-letter-why-i-sacked-works-ministry-ucaa-engineers-and-legal-officer/ ### Ugandan outlet with the AFCON-specific framing; reports Museveni described attempted cost inflation for 2027 Africa Cup roads as part of wider corruption investigations, placing the dismissals in the context of Uganda's preparations for an international tournament - **Chimp Reports** (Uganda, en) — Chimp Reports reported Museveni's disclosure that 'thieves' had attempted to more than double the cost of roads being built for the 2027 AFCON, framing the corruption purge as a threat to Uganda's ability to host a major international football tournament on budget and on time. > "President Museveni has revealed that his government blocked attempts by 'thieves' to more than double the cost of roads being built for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations." Source: https://chimpreports.com/museveni-thieves-tried-to-double-cost-of-afcon-roads/ ### unlabelled - **Daily Monitor** (Uganda, en) — Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/why-museveni-ordered-152-ucaa-staff-to-be-fired-5117276 - **New Vision** (Uganda, en) — Source: https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/museveni-orders-sacking-of-six-works-ministry-NV_237354_072026 - **Ankole Times** (Uganda, en) — Source: https://ankoletimes.co.ug/news/museveni-orders-dismissal-of-six-works-ministry-engineers-over-road-project-failures/ ## Across the graph - Entities: Uganda --- Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/uganda-museveni-afcon-corruption-0721