Patrick Okino
10 November 2008
Kampala — WORKS and transport minister Eng. John Nasasira has launched a sh50b project to upgrade and tarmac the Soroti-Lira road.
The project, covering 124km, was launched on Thursday at Dokolo Health Centre IV in Dokolo town. Constru-ction is expected to be completed in 2010.
A Chinese company, China Road and Bridge Construction, was awarded the contract.
Nasasira said the Government had borrowed the money to implement the project from the World Bank and that it would be repaid in 40 years.
"As soon as it is completed, you will see many trucks flocking to Southern Sudan for business, because people have been fearing the corridor between Soroti and Lira," Nasasira said.
He said the road connection between Mombasa, Malaba and Southern Sudan had been a problem but now it would be eased up after the completion of the long-awaited project.
Nasasira described the launch of the project as a special milestone to the people of Uganda and a good working relationship between China and the Uganda Government.
Nasasira, who said he was tired of being abused over bad roads in the country, warned the contractor against shoddy work, saying they would be dragged to court in case they mess up.
He said the Government expected the work to be properly done, so that maintenance starts after 15 years. "In China, there is four million kilometres of tarmack roads, but in Uganda, by the time we finish this , we shall be at 4,000km," Nasasira said.
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