Thousands of farmers and rural communities in Northern Uganda are set to benefit from improved access to markets and essential services after the Ministry of Local Government signed contracts worth UGX 10.39 billion to rehabilitate 139.7 kilometres of district and community access roads across nine districts.
Construction is expected to begin next week following the handover of project sites. The roads, to be rehabilitated under the Rural Development for Food Security in Northern Uganda (RUDSEC) Project, will improve accessibility, connectivity and mobility in Lamwo, Agago, Pader, Dokolo, Lira, Oyam, Serere, Soroti and Kaberamaido districts. Speaking at the contract signing ceremony, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government Ben Kumumanya described road infrastructure as a critical driver of Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
“Agri-industrialization is central to Uganda’s journey towards middle-income status. That transformation begins with motorability and accessibility through roads, which facilitate trade, service delivery and other development activities,” Kumumanya said. He said the project goes beyond rehabilitating roads, describing it as a strategic investment in decentralisation, improved service delivery, local economic development and better livelihoods for rural communities.
According to Kumumanya, better roads will enable farmers to transport produce more efficiently, reduce transport costs, improve access to markets and stimulate economic activity across the region. The contracts form part of the second phase of the five-year RUDSEC Project, which runs from the 2023/24 to the 2027/28 financial year. The programme is jointly financed by the Government of Uganda and the German Government through KfW Development Bank at a total cost of USD 28 million.
The rehabilitation works will cover nine road sections, including the 15-kilometre Kalongo–Lomoi Road (Section A) and 14.9-kilometre Kalongo–Lomoi Road (Section B) in Agago District; the 21.6-kilometre Corner Ogwec–Tenten Road in Lamwo; the 18-kilometre Puranga–Ogonyo–Achola Stream Road in Pader; 16.3 kilometres of the Agweng–Barlonyo and Akano–Lwala roads in Lira; the 12.7-kilometre Alwimac–Awiri–Asalim Road in Dokolo; the 12.8-kilometre Ochero–Bugoi Road in Kaberamaido; the 13.5-kilometre Atirir–Orungo Border Road in Soroti; and 14.9 kilometres of the Serere Upper Shops–Akoboi and Kamod–Otimong–Akobi roads in Serere District.
The contracts were competitively awarded to nine contractors. Supervision of the works will be undertaken by Lea Associates South Asia (LASA) in partnership with KOM Consult Ltd for the Teso sub-region, UB Consulting Engineers Ltd for the Acholi sub-region and KOM Consult Ltd for the Lango sub-region. Kumumanya directed contractors to execute the works with integrity, transparency and professionalism while complying with national construction standards and environmental safeguards.
He also instructed them to work closely with district local governments, prioritise local employment, protect the safety of workers and surrounding communities, restore borrow pits after construction and fully implement the project’s Environmental and Social Management Plan. The Ministry says the investment is expected to strengthen agricultural value chains, improve rural connectivity and support the government’s broader agenda of transforming livelihoods through infrastructure development-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
