Museveni salutes Japanese government for supporting Uganda's development

President Museveni has appreciated the Japanese government for the support rendered to Uganda in her quest for development.

Speaking at the commisioning of the  Source of the Nile bridge on Wednesday, Museveni applauded Japan for the relationship they have had with Uganda that dates 56 years back.

"We support each other. As we buy Japanese vehicles, they also give us aid. In the last 56 years Uganda has benefitted to a tune of US$1.22 billion in form of aid from Japan," he noted.

Museveni highlighted a number of projects including roads constructed using aid from the Japanese government adding that more are being funded.

"I must thank the Japanese government for supporting our development."

The president said that the new bridge and other big projects he has commisioned in the past show that Uganda is moving in the right direction.

"This bridge will help improve road safety because traffic has increased over the years on the Kampala-Jinja road and specifically the Nalubaale bridge,"he said.

Museveni insisted that boda boda riders and other cyclists will not be allowed to access the road because it is for only vehicles and pedestrians.

Masahisa Sato,the State Foreign Affairs Minister for Japan said the new  bridge is a symbol of the long standing friendship between the people of Japan and Uganda.

The new bridge according to officials from UNRA and Works Ministry has eight surveillance cameras to monitor traffic and other road users.

It also has capacity to capture vehicles and number plate of overloaded vehicles .

Officials from JICA say the bridge was constructed using latest technology in bridge construction.

Facts

The 525metre -long bridge whose construction started in 2014 has cost shs450 billion and has a life expectancy of 120 years.

The cable stayed bridge will be an alternative to the old Nalubaale bridge  commissioned in 1954 and  is in bad structural shape after  outliving  its expected lifespan.

The new bridge that will carry a four-lane dual highway with pedestrian sidewalks was constructed with funds from both the Uganda government(20%) and the Japanese government through the Japanese International Cooperation Agency(80%).