Tayebwa questions delayed Mpigi – Busega expressway project
The Deputy Speaker said that he, alongside John Bosco Ikojo, the Chairperson of the National Economy, strongly participated in the approval of the money for the Mpigi - Busega expressway project.
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, has tasked authorities at Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to explain the delays in the completion of Mpigi-Busega Expressway.
Tayebwa yesterday led a team of legislators from Physical Infrastructure and National Economy committees on a fact-finding mission. He inspected on-going construction works at Katonga Bridge and Mpigi – Busega Expressway road. The project is said to be at 30 percent.
The Deputy Speaker said that he, alongside John Bosco Ikojo, the Chairperson of the National Economy, strongly participated in the approval of the money for the Mpigi – Busega expressway project.
“That was around June 2016 and we expected it to be done in three years. In 2021 it should have been commissioned. We are now in 2023 and we are seeing the progress is extremely very slow,” Tayebwa said.
The 35km- project is co-funded with support from the African Development Fund (ADF) and African Development Bank (ADB). It was contracted to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation in Joint Venture with China Railway 19th Bureau Group (U) Ltd at a contract sum of Shs547.5billion.
However, addressing journalists during a guided tour, the Deputy Speaker noted that delay to complete this critical road and unexplained deviation from the original plan is posing traffic challenges.
Dan Kimosho, the Chairperson of the Physical Infrastructure Committee noted that “It is imperative that the contractors find nearby sources of raw materials to expedite the process.”
“There is an explanation to it especially because it is going through swamps and takes a lot of time and they get road materials from Kakiri to work on some of these swamps and they are arguing that it affects their speed. But they are saying within 48 months from now, the road will be complete and functional,” Kimosho explained.
The UNRA Executive Director, Allen Kagina, told the Deputy Speaker and members that the delays to complete the expressway were occasioned by a cocktail of geological and technical issues.
“The original alignment was going to affect the rail road. You know the Kampala-Kasese road also passes here and also Ugandans had built a lot on the dry ground so passing an expressway in these areas was going to affect the settlements. So we shifted onto the edge of the swamp,” Kagina explained.
