Heavy rains cost UNRA UGX 44 Bn

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Heavy rains that ravaged the country for much of last year have cost Uganda National Roads Authority -UNRA Shillings 44 billion.

The country received more than normal rainfall that started in August 2019 and only eased off in January 2020.

According to Joseph Otim, the director in charge road maintenance under UNRA, says Shillings 44billion only applies to unpaved roads, which were badly damaged by floods hence requiring fixing.

For this reason, the UNRA executive director Allen Kagina said the agency has had to divert already budgeted funds to try and fix the damage caused.

She called on government to increase the money it allocates to road maintenance and the development budget if it is to achieve maximum value from infrastructure investment.

Kagina said they have been able to recover Shs 2billion from people who vandalized road furniture and spent Shillings 725 million on repairing road furniture damaged by motorists. UNRA is still pursuing Shs 1.33 billion from motorists who are still refusing to pay.

Impact of Coronavirus

Meanwhile Kagina says her agency is still calculating the loss the coronavirus outbreak in China has had on their work. Chinese companies are undertaking many infrastructure projects in Uganda yet many of the workers are Chinese nationals.

By the time of the outbreak, many Chinese had gone back to China to celebrate their lunar end of year.

“We have many Chinese stakeholders and its true there is an impact, which we are assessing to know the extent. But working with the ministry of health we have taken precautions to see that the coronavirus doesn’t spread to Uganda. Before the Chinese workers return to Uganda, they are quarantined in China for 14 days but also when they arrive here, they are also quarantined for 14 days by the companies they work for to make sure that they don’t have the virus,” Kagina said.

UNRA is currently upgrading 23 roads covering a total of 1581 kilometers. In their six month report in the financial year 2019/2020, the agency has been able to tarmac 204 km against the yearly target of 400km.

UNRA is also working on the construction of five bridges in different part of the country that they hope to complete by the end of this financial year.

The five bridges include, Nsongi in Bunyagabo district, Mpondwe on the Uganda/DRC border, Aji and Ora bridges, Ajeleik bridge along Katakwi and Amuria road, Opot bridge connecting Amuria, Otuke, Abim and Kotido district.

******
URN