KCCA to spend Shs 9 billion to repair city roads, fill potholes

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) needs Shs 9 billion this quarter (April- June 2021) to undertake emergency road repairs at key points and sections of some city roads, the Minister for Kampala Betty Amongi said on Wednesday.

This follows an outcry over the quality of roads and mushrooming potholes in the city.

Speaking to the journalists at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, Amongi said that government is aware of the state of deteriorated road network in the city arising from an old network which has outlived its design life.

"Government through KCCA has come up with a plan that would go beyond just repairing to improving our city streets through a number of projects in which 69 Km of road are to be constructed with walkways, cycling lanes, drainage and street lighting,"she said.

According to Amongi, additional funding is being sourced from The French Development Agency fund for street lighting in which they intend to instal 20,000 street lights across the city.

She told the media that the president has already directed them to prepare a comprehensive plan for revamping the city infrastructure through a long term financing model and a cabinet memo is being prepared for presentation and adoption.

She said that the plan will address the overall infrastructure master plan which will handle roads rehabilitation, traffic congestion, drainage and flooding problems in the city.

President Museveni in August 2020 launched the construction of the Lubigi and Nakamiro channels with a combined stretch of 5.88Km at a total cost of Shs 82.7 billion.

The two channels shall solve the problem of floods in the low lying areas of Bwaise in Kawempe division stretching into Kawala in Lubaga Division, according to Amongi.

She said works shall be completed by November 2021.

Other interventions being undertaken to address infrastructure challenges include current works at the Clock Tower area along Entebbe Road.