Immanuel Ben Misagga
Uganda will hold presidential and parliamentary elections in 2026 in about six weeks. Right now, the political air is thick with a familiar dust, the kind that comes from promises of new roads.
I am dismayed by how many people running for Parliament still promise to improve the roads in their areas, even though they know they can’t keep that promise. It is only the President who can give roads.
What puzzles me is that voters go along with this ritual of hope and rarely question what an MP really does, which is to make laws and provide oversight, not to run construction sites.
We live in a digital age, and this cycle of empty talk and unmet expectations has to stop. There is a better way, one that leads to a stronger, more resilient society, not just better roads.
In my experience, the answer to the problem of roads is to stop focusing on heavy-duty machinery and start focusing on our most valuable and underappreciated national resource: our people. It’s time for people who want to be MPs to stop promising roads and start pushing for a law that allows for community-based, labour-intensive road work.
I have worked in road construction for more than 30 years, so I know what works and what doesn’t. Big machines have their uses, but relying on them alone has left thousands of kilometres of rural feeder roads in a state of constant disrepair. Labour-based methods are the most practical and effective option. This is a model that has many benefits beyond the tarmac. It is a huge win-win for the people, their leaders, and the country.
For example, when an MP supports labour-based projects, they are not just supporting infrastructure; they are also supporting economic empowerment at the local level.
Road projects that use workers put money directly into the local economy. The money that local workers get for tasks like clearing drainage, fixing culverts, and grading surfaces stays in the same community and pays for things like school fees, food, and medical care. It gives young people and school dropouts short-term jobs that are useful, turning idle hands into skilled workers and reducing rural-to-urban migration. This isn’t a cost; it’s an investment in people that will pay off in the long run.
At the same time, a community that has literally built a road with its own hands will fiercely protect it. A road built by a community gives people a strong sense of ownership, unlike a road built by a contractor from far away. Residents are much more likely to report erosion problems, stop overloading, and help with regular maintenance. This significantly cuts long-term maintenance costs and stops the cycle of neglect and expensive repairs that our current system is stuck in.
Also, labour-based methods are known for being very lean. Instead of spending money on importing equipment and spare parts, a large part of the project budget goes to labour. Workers use materials available locally and avoid expensive, fuel-guzzling machines. The “task and go” system lets workers finish a set task in about five hours and then go home. This means the government doesn’t have to pay for expensive transportation and housing camps, ensuring that every shilling goes further for the people.
When a community learns how to build roads, maintain quality with simple tools, and understand drainage, they gain highly valuable skills. These aren’t just road-building skills; they are basic civil engineering skills that can be used for building houses, controlling water runoff, and other community projects. This spreading of knowledge strengthens communities and improves their ability to manage development long after the project ends.
Lastly, the fact that labour-based works have a small carbon footprint is a big plus in our changing climate. Compared to traditional methods, this approach has a much smaller environmental impact because workers walk or bike to the site and use minimal machinery. These projects also become community efforts, fostering unity, collective problem-solving, and strengthening the social fabric.
This is not a new idea. It is a model with a long history of success. Organised workers built an amazing 40,000 km of strong roads through the Andes for the Inca Empire. Since the 1970s, Kenya has built more than 12,000 km of rural roads using labour-based methods. My own experience in northwestern Zambia and on the Nagongera–Mulanda–Kwapa road here in Uganda proves this: where machines failed in sandy areas, motivated local workers, with proper supervision, excelled.
For someone running for Parliament, this is a brilliant move in both politics and practice. The MP’s job shifts from a powerless middleman for broken promises to a meaningful leader. They become the champion in Kampala, fighting for the law and the funding needed. They become the chief supervisor on the ground, ensuring accountability and smooth operations. And they can point to a real, life-changing project that they helped bring to life—building political capital rooted in trust, not empty charity.
It’s clear what needs to be done. We need MPs who will do more than say, “I will give you roads.” We need leaders who will be honest and work with us: “I will fight for a law that pays you to build and maintain your own roads. I will ensure that money is spent wisely, and I will give you the tools you need to take charge of your community’s development.”
This is how we build lasting roads and a growing nation. It benefits the individual who gets income and infrastructure, the MP who delivers results, and Uganda, which unlocks its people’s full potential. Let’s demand smarter, more honest politics in 2026 and beyond.
The author is a vintage roads and football expert.
