Kampala potholes: MPs tour roads

Members of Parliament under the Physical Infrastructure Committee on Monday visited some of the city roads that are in a poor state. This follows a social media campaign last week dubbed: “Kampala Pothole Exhibition” where a section of Ugandans castigated the government for turning a blind eye to the deteriorating condition of the road.
The  MPs were accompanied by officials from Kampala Capital City Authority for the  inspection exercise, which was ordered by Parliament.
The legislators recommended more funding for Kampala City from Shs10b to Shs500b or more for every financial year.
“Kampala was being given Shs10 billion and they need about Shs500 billion or trillion so that our roads can be in a moderate state,” Mr David Karubanga, the MP for Kigorobya County, said.
Mr Karubanga added: “It’s high time we prioritise Kampala as the face of the city because most of us live in urban areas. The roads are very bad and I appeal to my colleagues that we support each other and ensure the government allocates enough funds for this city.”
Report
Mr Robert Kasolo, the MP for Iki-Iki County, said the committee will present a report based on their tour to the House today.
Last week, President Museveni ordered the Ministry of Finance to release with immediate effect Shs6 billion for the rehabilitation of roads in Kampala.
Kampala currently has a road network of 2,100km. Of these, 642km is paved with a drainage system of 145kms of major drains and 3,428km of minor drains. But KCCA says only 714km (20 percent) are constructed open drains.
Funding order
On Museveni’s directive, the KCCA management says the Shs6b is a drop in the ocean.
Mr Muhamad Nsereko, the MP for Kampala Central, asked Ugandans to hold President Museveni accountable for the poor state of the roads.
“We are inviting the President to feel the wrath of people because it is being unleashed on us,” he said while speaking to the media in Kampala yesterday.
“State House spends Shs2 billion every day. Kampala, which is the face of the city, is allocated Shs10 billion,” he added.
Some of the roads that were inspected by the MPs include Seventh Street in the Industrial Area, Mulago Roundabout, Namuwongo Road, Bukoto-Kyebando, Kitezi, and Salaama.
Mr David Luyimbazi, the deputy executive director of KCCA, said Ugandans operating in the city are going to continue suffering if Parliament does not allocate more funds to the city.
“According to our strategic plan, we need Shs1.4 trillion every financial year to be able to have a livable sustainable city. We currently get only Shs170 billion,” Mr Luyimbazi said.
“The roads have collapsed. On average, the road is supposed to last for 15 to 20 years and our roads are over 40 years. We are carrying out section repairs as we wait for funding,” he added.