Government has committed to spend Shillings 691 billion for the reconstruction of Masaka-Kyotera to Mutukula road.
The 89.5-kilometer road, which serves as the major trade route linking Uganda and Tanzania is currently in a sorry state owing to huge potholes that make it unmotorable, which frustrates trade and movement of services between the two countries.
The Prime Minister Robina Nabbanja commissioned the project works on Wednesday in Kyotera town council, ending the many years of waiting by the leaders and road users.
The government entered into a 2-year pre-financing agreement with a Chinese firm; Chongqing International Construction Corporation (CICCO), which has commenced the project works, whose completion will take four years.
Nabbanja noted that the project has been long overdue, saying the government has all along been looking for funds until later when the cabinet resolved on modalities of its financing.
She is optimistic that upon completion, the road will help to improve trade between Uganda and Tanzania, thereby challenging the Uganda National Roads Authority-UNRA, to closely supervise the project to ensure delivery of quality works.
Besides the main highway of Masaka-Kyotera to Mutukula, the project also includes major rehabilitation of Nyendo-Villa Maria road-11 kilometers and paving of an additional 7 kilometers of access roads within Masaka city.
General Edward Katumba Wamala, the Minster of Works and Transport noted that the roads are going to be upgraded to first class Bitumen standards. He noted that the project does not have any provisions for compensation for persons who encroached on the road reserves, explaining that the contractor is going to operate within the original dimensions of the road.
Instead according to Katumba, the contractor is going to construct walkways and install streetlights in all linear towns located along the road. The Masaka-Kyotera-Mutukula highway was originally constructed in the 1960s and later rehabilitated in 2001 but its state has been worsening over time, which has resulted in continuous protests by truck drivers and leaders.
Dr. Abed Bwanika and John Paul Lukwago, the MPs for Kimanya-Kabonera division and Kyotera county respectively, observe that the road had become a death trap and has caused several accidents in the recent past yet it is of great significance to the country in terms of import and export trade.
Bwanika noted this is the biggest road project the government is undertaking in the greater Masaka sub-region adding that as leaders, they are relieved of the pressure that was being mounted by the communities.
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