Residents of Busia District have urged the Ministry of Works and Transport to expedite the construction of the 12-kilometre Lumino-Mulwanda Road to establish an additional border link between Uganda and Kenya, ease congestion at the Busia One Stop Border Post, and facilitate cross-border trade.
The appeal follows a directive issued by the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Markson Oboth-Oboth, during his address as chief guest at a thanksgiving ceremony for Julius Maganda Wandera, the Minister of State for Works in Charge of Transport and Member of Parliament for Samia Bugwe South.
Oboth-Oboth said the project would facilitate the opening of an additional customs point between Uganda and Kenya, promote international trade, and reduce the heavy congestion currently experienced at the Busia One Stop Border Post.
Once completed, the road is expected to provide an alternative route for truck drivers travelling through Musita, Namayingo and Lumino, easing pressure on the existing transport corridor.
The residents say the proposed road, which would connect Lumino in Uganda to Mulwanda in Kenya, is long overdue. They believe it would provide an alternative route for cargo trucks, reduce traffic congestion in Busia town, and create new economic opportunities for communities on both sides of the border.
Oguttu Neyala, a resident of Lumino Town Council, welcomed the Speaker’s directive, saying the road has been one of the area’s longstanding demands. He said the road would create employment opportunities and make it easier for residents to engage in cross-border trade once the connection to Kenya is established.
Another resident, John Ouma, said farmers in the area face difficulties transporting their produce to the Kenyan market because of the long distance between Busime and Busia Customs. He said opening the Lumino-Mulwanda route would enable residents of Samia Bugwe South to access markets more easily and benefit from cross-border trade and other business opportunities.
Wilberforce Oundo, the Member of Parliament for Funyula County in Kenya, said construction on the Kenyan side of the proposed link was nearing completion, leaving the Ugandan government to expedite work on its side to enable the opening of the second border crossing. Oundo urged the Ugandan government to act on the project, noting that the necessary funds had already been budgeted for the construction.
Dr Paul Otwoma, the Governor of Busia County in Kenya, said authorities were struggling to manage the growing congestion caused by trucks passing through Busia town. He appealed to the governments of Uganda and Kenya to accelerate the construction processes to ease the pressure on the border town and improve the movement of goods and people between the two countries.
Barbra Nekesa Oundo, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party treasurer, said opening the Lumino-Mulwanda link would enable residents of Busia and the wider Bukedi sub-region to benefit more fully from the economic opportunities associated with living along an international border.
She said efforts to eradicate poverty in the region should be supported by improved agricultural production and access to markets, in line with government programmes and East African Community integration initiatives.
Nekesa added that improved connectivity would help farmers and other business operators reach markets within Uganda and across the East African Community, potentially increasing household incomes and stimulating local economic growth.
Julius Maganda Wandera, the Minister of State for Works in Charge of Transport and Member of Parliament for Samia Bugwe South, acknowledged that construction of the Lumino-Mulwanda Road was long overdue.
He said the Speaker’s directive would provide a basis for pushing for the commencement of construction, adding that the project was important for strengthening the transport connection between Uganda and Kenya and expanding trade opportunities for communities in the border region-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
