The Minister of State for Kampala Metropolitan Affairs Kabuye Kyofatogabye has attacked the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago for sabotaging the road projects in Kampala yet most of the roads are in a sorry state.
Kabuye said that it seems Lukwago failed mathematics because the calculation he made to arrive at some figures which indicated that the unit cost of the road per kilometer are exorbitant is not true because the figures indicated involves many aspects of the road like drainage systems, walk ways and street lights.
“ It seems Lukwago didn’t pass mathematics like me because he reads the figures upside down and if he is ignorant he should seek information from people who are having it and stop miss informing Ugandans“. Kabuye said.
He added: “ the unit cost per kilometer is worthwhile because this involve many things like Street lighting bus stops and the drainage systems which are supposed to be covered to create walk ways for pedestrian in order to reduce on accidents“.
The Lord Mayor Lukwago alleges that government plans to spend UGX 14.4 per kilometer of road that will be constructed in Kampala something he says in much inflated basing on the standards.
“This is ridiculous, a cost for the construction of these road. It is outrageous. These costs are obscenely inflated. Imagine if a kilometer is to cost shs14.4billion and you have 2110km of roads in the entire Kampala, how are we going to construct all of them? It means during our lifetime, we shall never finish constructing the roads in Kampala.” Lukwago said.
The minister Kabuye told Journalist in a press conference that government has already borrowed US$ 277 billion (Ushs 900 billion) from African Development bank which is going to be spent on the construction of 69.2 kilometers of roads in Kampala Metropolitan and government will contribute US$ 11 billion (UGX 38 billion) to cater for compensations.
He also said that government have already signed contracts with four companies that are going to commence the construction of the different roads and these include, China Railway18, ZZ China company ltd and COLAS a British company and 20% advance payment has been effected.
The cabinet also resolved to divert the US $ 12 million that were earmarked to procure buses for Kampala Metropolitan rapid transport system to construction and tarmacking of roads as well putting in place bus terminals.
According to Kabuye, a total of 85.57 kilometers of roads will be constructed as opposed to the initial 31 kilometers that were planned by KCCA and these will have dual lanes to ease traffic jam in the city.
The road that are to be constructed include; Salaama road 10 km, Portbell- Jinja road, Sentema- Bulange to Bukasa 12 km, Sir Appolo Kaggwa 6km, Mpererwe Kiteezi, Old Kira road 2km and Kisasi road as well as junctions.
By George Bukenya