Mukono, uganda
Amid mounting frustrations over road infrastructure, the Kampala-Jinja Highway has become the focal point of public discontent due to subpar maintenance and delays.
Concerns have been mounting regarding the shoddy state of the road, leading to calls for accountability from the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA).
However, recent attempts to address these issues have been met with dissatisfaction as UNRA official Kesia Ajoko sidestepped critical questions during a Central Division Council meeting.
Ajoko, a Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) official, recently faced sharp criticism from the Central Division Council over the deteriorating conditions of the Kampala-Jinja Highway.
Despite being invited to address pressing issues related to the road’s maintenance, Ajoko notably evaded the majority of concerns raised by councillors and local council LCI-Chairpersons.
The primary issues included delays in completing construction, inadequate safety measures around open trenches, and the overall poor quality of roadwork.
These problems are made worse because EnergoProjekt, the company originally hired to finish the road repairs, left the job halfway through. This has left important parts of the road incomplete and dangerous.
Parliament gave UNRA UGX82 billion to maintain the 72-kilometer stretch of road.
The sections from Mbalala through Mukono, Seeta, and up to Bweyogerere still lack proper access, making it dangerous for both motorcyclists and vehicles carrying goods.
This has also caused problems for local businesses, leading some to close and discouraging customers from shopping.
Anne Kayitiro pointed out large, dangerous trenches near the Mukono-Jinja-Bugerere junction. These trenches, left open by another company during a previous project, have even led to a tragic accident where a vendor died.
Lawrence Mayanja questioned whether UNRA’s engineers are doing a good job of supervising the contractors, noting that without proper water drainage, the roads quickly fall apart.
Ajoko responded by saying that UNRA faces many problems, including huge debts totaling one trillion shillings, which makes it hard to fix these issues quickly.
She also warned local councils not to ignore vendors operating in road reserves and noted seeing them selling goods, including clothes and hardware, along the Kampala-Jinja Highway, especially in the evenings.
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