The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Betty Kamya has expressed frustration at the slow pace of road rehabilitation works under the Albertine Region Sustainable development Project-ARSDP in Hoima district.
The project is a multi-sectoral plan that is being implemented for 5 years in the region. It is aimed at improving regional and local access to infrastructure, market and skills development in the Albertine region.
Under the project, government in 2019 with funding from the World Bank awarded a shs 19 billion contract to upgrade 118.1 km of roads to first-class murram in Hoima to Abubaker Technical services and General Supplies Limited. The project is under the Ministry of Lands, housing and urban development.
The rehabilitation of the roads to first-class murram begun in April 2019 and was to be completed by April 2020. The roads are Kihobya-Kyarubanga-Bukerenge, Kiboirya-Iseisa-Kigorobya, Kitoba-Kabasengeya-Kiboijana and Waaki-Kiryabutuzi-Mparangasi.
Others are Bulindi-Waaki-Dwoli, Kyakapeya-Kisiita-Kibaire and Kafo-Wagesa-Buraru.
During an impromptu inspection of the roads on Friday, Kamya was shocked to learn that only 20% of the road works had been executed by the contractor.
This prompted the minister to task the contractor to furnish her office with a full report on why they have delayed in executing the entire road works. She explains that the road works were supposed to last twelve months.
Enock Kalema, the Resident Engineer Abubaker Technical services explained that they could not meet the deadline due to the heavy rains that ravaged Hoima since August last year frustrating their operations.
Kalema adds that they were forced to halt road works for two months due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
He, however says the road works will be completed by November.
The project was initiated by the government as a result of the oil discovery in the region generating high expectations and influx of people in the region in search of jobs and revenue and overall economic development.
******
URN
