UNRA gets Shs395b for Bukwo road

The executive director of UNRA, Ms Allen Kagina, (C) with UNRA staff and local leaders inspects a Uganda-Kenya border bridge at Suam bridge in December last year. PHOTO BY DAVID MAFABI 

Bukwo. The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has announced Shs395 billion for tarmacking Kapchorwa-Bukwo-Suam road.
The road is muddy and slippery with potholes and becomes impassable during heavy rains and too dusty during the dry season.

While on his campaign trail in Sebei sub-region on December 9, President Museveni said the tarmacking of Kapchorwa-Suam road would start in January, but the UNRA executive director, Ms Allen Kagina, has indicated the procurement will be done in May.
According to UNRA, the contractor will be on the road site in May and compensation of those affected by the project will be done in May before the construction starts in June.

Ms Kagina, who visited the area this week for on-spot inspection of the Kapchorwa-Bukwo-Suam road, said they were waiting for an approval from the African Development Bank to start the procurement process.
“I want to assure you that the road is finally going to be done and it’s being done jointly with the government of Kenya and the money came from African Development Bank to support regional integration,” Ms Kagina told the residents on Wednesday.

“I came to give you confidence that the road is going to be done. We are in the process of getting a contractor, we have just started the process and the contractor will be here in four months,” she added.
Ms Kagina said the 77km road will cost government Shs395 billion, which is a loan from ADB. The road opens up access to the hard-to-reach Bukwo, which is mostly accessed through the neighbouring Kenya due to internal poor road network.

She said the road that connects to Kenya through Suam has an internal return rate of about 17 per cent above the normal 12 per cent internal returns of other roads.
“This road is important because of agriculture, tourism and cross-border business,” said Ms Kagina.
Resident district commissioners for Bukwo and Kween Mr Ken Lochap and Mr Joseph Okwakao, respectively said the people have shunned the NRM government because of the road pledge that has taken about 15 years and added that the tarmacking would restore the party’s support in the area.

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