Local govts given ultimatum to complete USMID projects

By Jaffari Muyinda

State Minister for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Minister Obiga Kania, has issued a one-month ultimatum to local governments to complete ongoing USMID projects.

The five-year program, financed by the World Bank to eradicate poverty and improve infrastructure, is phasing out.

Speaking at a closing meeting at Nile Hotel, Jinja, Minister Obiga urged local governments to take stewardship of the projects to ensure their sustainability.

The meeting was attended by city mayors, local council five chairpersons, and town clerks from beneficiary districts, cities and municipalities.

Minister Obiga's ultimatum has put local governments on notice to complete outstanding projects, ensuring the fruits of USMID are not lost in transition.

The clock is ticking, and the next month will be crucial in determining the success of this critical infrastructure development program.

Minister Obiga expressed appreciations to the local governments for the commendable job as no serious reports of fraud and corruption, except for a few instances of misgivings and doubts about the costs of the works and general project expenses.

He rallied authorities to learn, improve and eliminate all doubts, make information clear to everyone, and ensure maximization of resources, avoiding the use of excessive resources for limited results.

He also commended World Bank team for not only extending financial support to the country but also for walking USMID decade in the country through providing advice, and offering stewardship.

"The best way we can repay them is by preserving what they have supported us with, ensuring that these assets are well-maintained and protected. For the next phase, we request them to expedite the processes because as Government we are ready to commence immediately," Obiga said.

Jinja City Mayor, Alton Okocha Kasolo, emphasized the importance of programs like USMID, which support local governments in addressing long-standing infrastructure challenges.

"Programs of this kind are prudent to local governments because a city like Jinja has a challenge of roads based on number of roads that need to be upgraded especially in the northern division which not yet planned," Kasolo said.

However, Adjuman District Chairperson, Ben Anyama, expressed concerns over the refund of funds to the Treasury at the end of each financial year saying pauses challenges in the implementation of programs of the nature calling for policy repeal, also citing delays in project planning and implementation, which can lead to corruption among contractors.

"This system of swapping the money to national treasury is causing a challenge in the implementation of projects so I request the minister that the policy is revised because it is a source of shoddy works and corruption as contractors rash to meet the deadline of each financial year," Anyama said.

USMID has been piloted in cities like Jinja, Mbale, and districts of Adjuman, Moyo, Terego among others, focusing on constructing roads, modern markets, street lights, and other infrastructure.

While the program has made significant progress, its phase-out poses challenges for local governments, and the new program, UCMID, is expected to address these concerns