Heavy trucks banned from Entebbe Expressway

Uganda’s Ministry of Works and Transport began temporarily barring heavy commercial vehicles from the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway on Monday, August 31, 2026, in a move it said was needed to protect the road and complete weight-control infrastructure. The restriction applies to loaded and unloaded commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 7,500 kilograms and above, according to a ministry public notice. Officials said the ban covers the entire expressway, including carriageways, interchanges, entry and exit ramps, toll plazas and bridges. Smaller commercial vehicles below the 7,500-kilogram threshold can continue using the road if they comply with existing traffic and road-safety rules. ### Which trucks are now barred from the expressway? The ministry’s notice set the threshold at 7,500 kilograms gross vehicle weight, meaning the order applies to heavy commercial vehicles whether they are loaded or unloaded. The restriction spans the full Kampala-Entebbe Expressway corridor rather than a single toll point or interchange, according to the notice reported by New Vision and posted by the ministry. (newvision.co.ug) Commercial vehicles below 7,500 kilograms are not affected. The ministry also said exemptions remain in place for ambulances, fire and rescue vehicles, police and security vehicles, emergency response vehicles, emergency road-maintenance vehicles and other vehicles exempted by law or by written ministerial approval. ### Why did the ministry say it imposed the restriction now? (newvision.co.ug) Fred Byamukama, Uganda’s minister of works and transport, said the temporary restriction is intended to facilitate the completion, installation, testing, commissioning and operationalisation of weighing and load-verification facilities on the expressway. The ministry said those facilities are expected to support axle-load control and enforcement and help ensure heavy vehicles comply with prescribed weight and loading requirements. (newvision.co.ug) The ministry said the measure is temporary and tied to the commissioning of those facilities. In its notice, it said the restriction will be reviewed once the required weighing and load-verification systems have been completed and commissioned. ### Where are affected truck operators supposed to go instead? The ministry told heavy transporters to plan for lawful alternative routes rather than use the expressway while the restriction is in force. (newvision.co.ug) New Vision reported that affected vehicles were advised to use routes including the old Entebbe Road. The Kampala-Entebbe Expressway is a four-lane toll road under the Ministry of Works and Transport linking Kampala with Entebbe International Airport, according to the expressway’s official website. (newvision.co.ug) Nile Post described the road as a 26.2-kilometre corridor running from Busega through Kajjansi and Mpala to Entebbe, with a spur to Munyonyo. ### What rules still apply to truck operators? The ministry said existing requirements on axle load, gross vehicle weight, vehicle dimensions, roadworthiness, load security and special load permits remain in force during the temporary ban. (newvision.co.ug) It also warned that anyone who contravenes the restriction will be dealt with in accordance with the law. The order does not suspend broader freight controls; it shifts where the heaviest commercial vehicles can travel while the expressway’s weighing and verification systems are being put in place. (kee.go.ug) That is an inference from the ministry notice describing both the ban and the continuing load-control requirements. ### How long will the ban last? The ministry did not give an end date in the public notice. (newvision.co.ug) Instead, it said the restriction will remain in place temporarily and road users will be informed of any changes. The next formal milestone named by the ministry is the completion and commissioning of the expressway’s weighing and load-verification facilities, after which the restriction will be reviewed. (newvision.co.ug) Heavy transport operators, the ministry said, should use lawful alternative routes until that review is announced.