Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has taken action to improve the state of roads in the country’s capital city. He has instructed the Ministry of Finance to release six billion shillings immediately for the rehabilitation of roads in Kampala Capital. This move is expected to improve transportation and infrastructure in the city, benefiting residents and visitors alike.
During a meeting with a delegation from Serbia to discuss trade relations, Uganda’s President Museveni ordered the release of Sh6bn for the improvement of roads in Kampala. The directive was issued on Wednesday and is aimed at improving infrastructure in the city.
Uganda’s President Museveni has ordered the Ministry of Finance to release 6 billion Shillings for the repair and maintenance of roads in Kampala. This quarterly contribution to the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is intended for pothole filling and other repairs. Museveni expressed concern that only 30 percent of the funds had been released this financial year, causing traffic jams and deteriorating roads outside of the African Development Bank project. The urgent release of the remaining funds is expected to address these issues.
The African Development Bank City Project will oversee the construction of 41 roads over the next four years to enhance transportation in the city. Additionally, the KCCA Executive Director has been tasked with providing updates to the public on the progress of this initiative.
After public outcry and an online protest highlighting the poor state of roads in Kampala, Ugandan President Museveni has ordered the release of Sh6bn to address the issue. The online exhibition of potholes in Kampala, led by Dr. Spire Ssentongo, a cartoonist and lecturer of Philosophy at Makerere University Kampala, brought attention to the urgent need for road repairs. Museveni’s directive is a step towards improving the infrastructure in the city and ensuring safer and smoother travel for its residents.
This decision comes after an exhibition was held to showcase the poor condition of the roads in the city. Ugandans took to Twitter to share pictures of potholes in their localities, hoping to bring attention to the issue and prompt action from the government and city authorities. With this funding, it is hoped that the roads in Kampala will be improved and made safer for drivers and pedestrians alike.
The decision was made after the City Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, revealed that the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) was facing financial constraints, with suppliers of fuel and asphalt withholding supplies due to non-payment. The funds will be used to address the urgent needs of the city’s roads and infrastructure.
The City Executive Director, Dorothy Kisaka, has highlighted the need for annual maintenance of city roads, which costs between 75 to 100 billion shillings. However, the authority only receives about 26 billion shillings from the Uganda Road Fund to carry out this task. Kisaka is working with relevant government agencies to address this issue and ensure that the necessary funding is provided for road maintenance in the future.
The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has identified several roads that have deteriorated and are in need of repair. KCCA Executive Director, Dorothy Kisaka, stated that the funds will be used to fix sections of the roads that fit within the provided budget. The release of these funds will help to improve the transportation infrastructure in Kampala and make it easier for residents to travel around the city.
The city currently has 2100km of roads, but only 30 percent of them are paved, and many are in poor condition. The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has reported that as of December 2022, there were 8,500 square meters of potholes spread across the city’s five divisions. The funding will be used to address these issues and improve the overall condition of the roads in Kampala.
The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has already begun construction on nearly 70 km of roads, using the 288 billion dollars provided by the African Development Bank (ADB). KCCA Executive Director Kisaka confirmed that the funds will be used to improve the city’s infrastructure and ensure safe and efficient transportation for its residents.
