The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala Capital City Authority- KCCA is to start rehabilitating 46.7 km of roads in the city at an estimated USD 173 million (about UGX 646 billion provided by the African Development Bank.
Procurement for the road works is expected to start in September this year. The KCCA acting Executive Director, Andrew Kitaka says the rehabilitation of the roads will help improve business in the city. He says some of the roads shall be expanded to accommodate more vehicles in order to improve traffic flow.
For instance, KCCA plans to expand Port bell road to make it four lanes and two under bridges in Nakawa to accommodate two lanes from the current one.
Kitaka has asked political leaders to encourage city residents to offer KCCA some land free charge for the rehabilitation to take place. He made the communication at Hotel Africana on Tuesday afternoon in a meeting with other stakeholders to discuss the rehabilitation plan.
The roads earmarked for rehabilitation include Port bell Road (6.5km) and Old Port bell Road to Spring Road (3.45km) in Nakawa. Others are Kisubi road to Northern Bypass (2.4km), Kibuye- Busega Road (6.6km) in Lubaga division and Fifth Street (1.1km) in central division.
Gaba Road/Muyenga Road junction (0.42km), Luwafu Road (2.62km), Canon Apollo Kivebulaya Road or Albert Cook Road junction, Bulange junction and Gaba Road/Nsambya estate road junction (0.14km in Makindye Division.
Jacob Kamukama, the Acting Deputy Director of Road Management at KCCA, says the roads shall have different components suitable for city transport. He explains that apart from expanding the roads, they will include properly constructed walk ways for pedestrians, toilets, parking lots and small roads heading to public places like roads shall also be improved.
The Kampala Lord Mayor, Elias Lukwago has welcomed the project and hailed ADB for extending funds to KCCA. He said this is a step towards improving Kampala that he says doesn’t suite a 21st century city status.
He decried the low funding that KCCA receives from budget allocations. KCCA was allocated Shillings 30 billion, which Lukwago says is very insufficient considering the needs of the city. Kampala has 2110 km of road but only 608 km is tarmacked.
Ismail Damba, the Lubaga South youth councilor also welcomed the project plan and committed support to KCCA through liaising with land owners to offer free land for road expansion.
****
URN
