Minister Katumba asks roadside vendors to vacate

The Minister of Works and Transport, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, has warned roadside vendors about pedestrian walkways, urging them to vacate the areas to ensure smooth traffic flow. 

He made this call during a monitoring exercise of the Najjanankumbi-Busaabala road works in Wakiso District on October 3.

"The walkways put in place for pedestrians are occupied by vendors. This means the pedestrians have no way to walk, blocking traffic," Gen. Katumba noted.

He emphasised that food vendors are particularly problematic, as they block trails by placing their tables in pedestrian walkways.

Gen Katumba also highlighted other challenges in the ongoing road project, such as difficulties in securing right-of-way access due to compensation demands from affected communities. 

"They had agreed to give us a free right of way to help them get rid of dust. But when the contractor came on the ground, some people started demanding money," he explained.

In areas where landlords are demanding high compensation, Gen. Katumba warned that the government will opt to improve existing roads instead. 

"Government projects like this, benefiting the general public, should not be delayed due to land issues," he said.

The Najjanankumbi-Busaabala road project, valued at Shs258 billion, is fully funded by the Ugandan government. 

However, the project is facing financial constraints, with the contractor yet to be paid since starting work in 2021. 

Eng. Dan Iga, Project Manager at Uganda Roads Authority (UNRA), outlined the project's scope, which includes upgrading the 11-km Najjanankumbi-Busaabala road, constructing overpass bridges, and installing lighting.

Wakiso District Chairperson, Matia Lwanga Bwanika, praised landlords who offered their land for the project, citing the potential for transformative community development. 

"We haven't registered any theft cases from the contractor. We ask for more collaboration to enable smooth construction works," he noted.