MPs query cost of 2.5km Entebbe-Kampala bypass road

Members of Parliament from the Physical Planning and Infrastructure committee have threatened to halt and cause further investigation on a 2.5km road that links Entebbe - Kampala Road via Katabi town, over what they described as highly inflated costs.

“How can this particular road where we are now be costing Shs 14 billion yet it is just 2.5km?” Queried the Entebbe Municipality MP, Michael Kakembo.

The two lane road whose construction by Chinese firm Chine Wu Yi, is being supervised by Entebbe Municipality is funded at a cost of Shs 14.5 billion under the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) project.

"We should really try to ensure we obtain value for money. We have so many community roads within the cities and municipalities that need to be carpeted. But what is special with this 2.5km road? We need to audit this very contract and see if all the parameters add up," said Ronald Baliwezo, the Nakawa East MP said during the inspection.

USMID is funded by the World Bank under a $360 million blend of credit line and grant.

It aims at elevating the quality of road and transport infrastructure in 10 cities and 22 municipalities across the country.

State ministers Obiga Kania and Sam Mayanja, of Urban Planning and Lands respectively, led the MPs in the field inspection of the road works in Entebbe Municipality.

Apart from delayed works within some of the implementation cities and municipalities, there are also concerns over the actual costs per kilometre of road network being constructed under the USMID project.

Dr Isaac Mutenyo, the programme coordinator of USMID, said the extra works such as wider and deeper drainage channels, the street lighting among others raises the cost per km unit of the construction works under the programme..