By KT Reporter
Works on the Kampala-Mubende Road have finally resumed, following months of stalled work over funding.
The 86-kilometre-long project from Mityana Town through Myanzi to Mubende commenced in early 2021 and was supposed to be completed by early 2024, but by then, the progress of the works was estimated at 50 percent.
In June last year, the government through the now abolished Uganda National Roads Authority, announced that the world had been suspended due to lack of funds.
Recently, the Minister for Works and Transport, Gen Edward Katumba Wamal, promised that the works would commence soon.
The ministry hopes that there will be no more hitches following the commencement of the civil works for reconstruction of the road.
“The project has faced several setbacks, hence delays in the expected completion date; the most significant hurdle has been financial constraints,” says the Ministry.
It was initially planned to cost 395 Billion Shillings, but the delays, which attract interest from the contractors, is expected to have taken this cost beyond that.
The ministry acknowledges that this is not the only project facing challenges, but the whole sector.
“The Government takes cognisance of the fact that much of our National Network of roads requires substantial improvement in development to meet current and forecast traffic demands as we go through social-economic transformation,” says a brief statement.
Minister Wamala says the allocations to roads have been greatly cut despite the huge need to fix the roads, blaming the Parliament to this mess.
He said that in 2022/2023, the allocation was 90 percent of the planned spending, but that this has dropped to just 20 percent in the 2025/2026 national budget.
“Mityana–Mubende requires 130 Billion Shillings and was only allocated 21 Billion,” the Minister said, noting that without an increase in funding, the country risked spiralling arrears and related interest, interest claims by the contract as well as delays on roads and a surge in accidents.
“The estimated interest in the year 2025/26 due to delayed payments is approximately 48 Billion Shillings,” he said.
On the whole, the ministry says that the 2025/2026 allocation for national roads is 682 billion, yet the required funds amount to 3.15 Trillion Shillings, leaving a shortage of 2.472 trillion.
This project is being undertaken by Energo Project Company Uganda Limited and involves rebuilding the existing road and upgrading it with features like wider shoulders, drainage channels, culverts, and a strengthened road base.
It also includes rehabilitation of an additional 14 km of town roads in Mityana Town-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
