KCCA unveils roadmap for city infrastructure projects
KCCA Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka (centre) and a works team launch the Lot 3 construction project that will see city roads in sorry state reconstructed on February 13, 2023. PHOTO/PETER SSERUGO
What you need to know:
- There has been an ongoing outcry over many potholes on several roads in Kampala, for example, 8th Street.
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has launched Lot 3 of the Kampala City Road Reconstruction Project (KCRRP).
The project funded by the African Development Bank (ADB) will see roads in sorry state reconstructed.
While launching the project in Kampala yesterday, the Executive Director for KCCA, Ms Dorothy Kisaka, said Lot 3 includes the rehabilitation of roads such as Sir Apollo Kaggwa, fifth street, sixth street, seventh and eighth streets. Other roads to be considered under the same project are Suuna 1 and 2, Muzito road, Gaba road junction, and Queensway.
“The Kampala City Road Reconstruction Project is on course. However, the potholes in these roads shall be patched first to ease the traffic flow as the construction work takes shape,” Ms Kisaka said during her tour of the roads to be rehabilitated.
“The commencement has been issued after signing the contract for the design review and construction supervision. The necessary plant and equipment obtaining the necessary permits and statutory approvals will then follow,” she added.
Lot 3 of the Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Roads project includes the reconstruction of 18.84km of roads in Makindye, Central, Kawempe, and Rubaga divisions. It also includes the signalisation of five junctions in Makindye Division.
In an earlier interview with this publication, Ms Kisaka said most of the potholed roads had outlived their lifespan and the government had secured USD288m (Shs1 trillion) from the ADB to finance the reconstruction.
Road coverage
Records at KCCA indicate that Kampala City has 2,100km of roads of which 600km are paved or tarmacked and 1,500km are unpaved or gravel. This has made several parts of Kampala impassable during the rainy seasons, and dusty in the dry seasons.
At least 70km of the city roads are set to be reconstructed in the new phase.
Ms Kisaka earlier noted that the works would be done with modern technologies and would last for 15 to 20 years.
In recent years, KCCA has attributed the worsening state of the city roads to budget shortfalls which cannot allow the authority to rehabilitate all the roads. For instance, in the next financial year, the authority has been given a budget ceiling of Shs10b to reconstruct expired roads.
Kisaka said the money is very little since the reconstruction of a kilometre costs between Shs3b and Shs4b.
