SFC secure Shs2b deal to fix potholes in city
Special Forces Command project manager, Lt Eng Kikomeko Kigongo (in green overall) supervising maintenance works at Rashid Khamis Road in Kampala City. The SFC is working on roads in Kololo, Old Kampala and Central Business District. PHOTO/ANDREW BAGALA
The Special Forces Command Construction Regiment (SFCCR) have secured a Shs2b deal from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to maintain roads in the central business district of Kampala.
Lt Kikomeko Kigongo, the assistant project manager, said they are doing section, pavement and pothole repairs in selected areas of Kampala City in which they fix potholes and maintain roads in two months’ time.
“We started two weeks ago and we have a timeline of 45 days to have come to the apex of this task. But we have natural challenges with the weather. The two weeks we had of work, we have had four days of practical work because when it rains, it has serious repercussions on the subsequent activities that follow,” Lt Eng Kikomeko said.
In June, President Museveni ordered the SFC to take over the maintenance of city roads. President Museveni said his son and senior advisor, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, had approached him to help in the construction of the city roads at a very low cost.
This was after Gen Muhoozi had, in May, toured some of the roads that were in bad shape in the city and promised to use the SFC units to improve them.
Lt Eng Kikomeko said their scope of work will cover 12,000 square metres of potholes, 10,000 square metres of section repairs and some pavements.
“Our cost is Shs2b. It is quite low because we are government and we are counting on equipment being government-owned and the personnel being the army. So the labour and equipment cost brings the total cost down,” he said.
The SFC construction regiment is carrying out works at Lower Kololo, Kiyembe Lane, Snay Bin Road, Old Kampala Ring, Fort Road, Nsala Road, School Road and several others in Kampala Central Division.
He said lack of drainage on many roads has been a challenge to their tasks.
“We have found challenges in some sections. Most of these sections are failing because of the drainage. Unfortunately, the drainage isn’t in the scope of our work. So we are liaising with our client, Kampala Capital City Authority, to make sure that the drainage channels are corrected,” he said.
He said in some areas like Kiyembe Lane, they found that the sections had deteriorated and couldn’t maintain them, but had to reconstruct them.
Earlier this month, KCCA Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago said SFC were covering potholes only on the presidential route, which the SFC leadership denied.
Concern
The chairman of the Roads Committee in KCCA, Mr Balimwezo Nsubuga, also MP Nakawa East, told this publication earlier that SFC got Shs600m of the Shs2b, but questioned why KCCA’s equipment were being used in the tasks.
“They were contracted to do work, but they are using KCCA vehicles and equipment. KCCA has been telling us that they can’t repair roads because of shortage of equipment and funds. The SFC got advance payment of Shs600m of the Shs2b they are expected to get,” Mr Balimwezo said.
