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Kigumba-Hoima road to get tarmac in July
Buses get stranded at Kagadi-Kabale route which is part of the Hoima-Kyenjojo road last year. The minister for Bunyoro Affairs, Mr Ernest Kiiza, has announced that road-works on the road will start in July. PHOTO BY RONALD TUMUSIIME
What you need to know:
Finally. The road is part of President Museveni’s pledges to Bunyoro sub-region during the campaigns of 2001, 2006 and 2011
HOIMA.
The tarmacking of Kigumba-Masindi-Hoima-Kyenjojo road will begin this year, according to the State minister for Bunyoro Affairs, Mr Ernest Kiiza.
“Government has secured funds from the African Development Bank and the World Bank to support the project. The Kabwooya-Kyenjojo section will start by July 1 whereas the Kigumba-Masindi-Kabwooya section will start earlier than July,” Mr Kiiza said.
He was speaking at the burial of Dr James Rujumba, a retired veterinary doctor and political activist, in Kyarwiru village, Hoima Municipality on Wednesday.
Dr Rujumba, who died aged 103, was former Principal Private Secretary to the King of Bunyoro and was part of the team that negotiated the return of Bunyoro counties of Buyaga and Bungangaizi which had been annexed to Buganda under the British colonial rule.
The road covers more than 150km across the Bunyoro sub-region and is a major international trade route to DR Congo and South Sudan.
Mr Kiiza said government has prioritised infrastructure projects to spur economic growth and development.
No oil hand outs
Mr Kizza cautioned people from the oil rich Bunyoro sub-region not to expect hand outs from the oil revenues.
“I urge you to prepare yourselves to tap the oil revenues by positioning yourselves to sell goods and services in markets created by the oil industry,” Mr Kiiza, who chairs the Bunyoro parliamentary caucus, said.
Bunyoro Kingdom has been demanding a 12.5 per cent share of oil royalties as a host community of the natural resource.
The kingdom argues that it has rights to royalties from oil and other natural resources in its areas which will be used to mitigate the social-economic impacts occasioned by the oil activities.
Mr Kiiza also cautioned locals against sabotaging investors, citing an example of Kinyara Sugar Factory which has lost about 600 hectares of sugarcanes due to wild fires.
Fire recently razed about 200 hectares at the factory’s nucleus estate while out-growers contracted by the factory have lost over 400 hectares of sugarcane.
Museveni’s pledge
Government has since 2000 promised to tarmac the road and it has featured in several national financial budgets but it has never been worked on. Tarmacking the road is one of the outstanding unfulfilled campaign pledges by President Museveni in his 2001, 2006 and 2011 manifestos.
