The Minister for Kampala, Kabuye Kyofatogabye has revealed that government has earmarked shs265 billion to tarmac 70 kms of feeder roads in Mukono Municipality and Mukono district .
This is part of the five-year Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Programme (GKMA-UDP).
"The district has given us about 45kms and the municipality has around 25kms. The municipality is in the first batch where the project will first be implemented. We have advertised and two companies including China Communication Construction Company Limited and Sterling have won the bids. By August they will be on site," Kyofatogabye said.
"The roads in the district will be advertised in July and the design view consultants are winding up with activities of assessment and survey and will be communicating to us . Our target to run the adverts in the first week of July and by November, civil works starts."
The minister was on Tuesday speaking to Mukono district stakeholders during a consultative meeting for the program at Hotel Alvers in Mukono Municipality.
Kyofatogabye said the program will unlike before will see integration of the infrastructure system in form of roads.
"We are trying to come up with a mechanism to avoid damaging of our roads constantly by providing service lanes. The roads will be designed with service ducts that when a service provider wants to install a water pipe, electricity or telecom line, there is a channel they install it other than always digging up our roads. If you want to install cameras there will be a special duct you will use."
According to the Kampala Minister, by constructing these roads, government aims at linking Kampala with the surrounding areas including Mukono, Nansana, Mpigi and Kira by decongesting them.
"We also want to relieve the main roads of pressure but also improve on the traffic jam situation. Take an example of a bus that spends two hours from Mbale to Namawojjo but spends the same time on a shorter distance from Namawojjo to Kampala because of traffic jam. We want to break this cycle by improving alternative routes."
The program
The five-year Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Programme (GKMA-UDP) will be financed through a $566 million (Shs2.1 trillion) from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group.
The beneficiaries will include KCCA, Entebbe, Kira, Makindye-Ssabagabo, Mukono and Nansana municipalities as well as Mukono, Mpigi and Wakiso district local governments that will have their infrastructure and physical planning improved.
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According to officials, where each of these areas will be allowed to have their own physical plans, each of them must be in line with the plan of the GKMA-UDP.
Speaking on Tuesday, Minister Kyofatogabye said apart from roads, the program will also focus on construction of working spaces in form of markets for youths and women as well as drainage and sewerage infrastructure.
"For example, in Mukono Municipality, three markets will be constructed and three others in the district. We will also work on drainage and sewerage systems in the areas. We want to link these systems."
According to Monica Edemachu Ejua, the undersecretary in the Office of the President, the program will not see project affected persons compensated.
"As leaders, speak to residents to give us the right of way so we can develop these areas. They should know that if the roads are developed, their areas will develop and plots of land will go up in terms of value. Everyone should therefore support this program," Edemachu said.
She said currently, they are engaging stakeholders in form of consultation which will continue for 60 days to enable the local population have an input.
" We are displaying this plan for 60 days. If you have issues with this masterplan or you have anything you want us to add, this is the time to raise it. After 60 days we will not expect more input."
